


Bloodstained Lanterns

by bonesofether



Category: Bloodborne (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Artistic Liberties, F/M, Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-03-07 23:14:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13445448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonesofether/pseuds/bonesofether
Summary: When an relatively nodescript Hunter, new to the fight, crosses paths with those of two veteran Hunters, Father Gascoigne and Henryk, the nights of the Hunt take an unsuspected turn. Purpose drives the Hunt for one. The search for redemption drives the Hunt for the other. And finally, the thirst for vengeance drives the Hunt for the third. None are easily achieved, and neither is the dawn after each successful Hunt.





	1. The First Hunt

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that quite a few artistic liberties have been taken in this story, particularly where Father Gascoigne's family is concerned. This story is based off of what information I could find about them, along with some speculation in regards to the Vilebloods and their society.

Even though the fights were unpredictable, and the paths that needed to be taken unknown, it was starting to feel like the Hunts were same. At least, some aspects of it, in any case. The near constant, overwhelming smell of incense or stench of ash and death, the screams of those that had succumb to the blood curse, and finally the silvery moonlight that shone down on the entire city amidst the light from lanterns and bonfires. It was these aspects that she had come to expect, and, in some morbid way, become accustomed to.

So when she saw the little girl, clad in a dark blue dress, hair tied up in a pretty white ribbon, and peeking hopefully into windows of darkened buildings, Evangeline stopped.

She had been expecting to see monsters and blood-drunk Hunters, but a little girl?

Tightening her grip on her weapon, Evangeline glanced down at the bloodstained Saw Cleaver and then shifted her weight to feel the holstered the Hunter Pistol at her side. Under normal circumstances, she would refrain from approaching a child armed to the teeth and dressed in the garb of the Hunt. But these were hardly normal circumstances, and a child had no business being out during the night of a Hunt. So, as she assumed the most unimposing stance she could and took a few, light steps towards the child.

The girl’s hearing was apparently better than Evangeline had thought, because they suddenly perked up and whirled around to face the Hunter. Her hands were folded in front of her and her breath trembled, and for a moment, Evangeline feared that the little girl would bolt. She took a few, cautious steps back, looking over the Hunter with wide eyes, before tilting her head inquisitively.

“You’re...a Hunter, aren’t you?”

Grateful for the fact that the little girl had kept her voice down, Evangeline gave a quick, but emphasized nod. She started to say something, but the sounds of claws scraping on stone cut her off. The little girl gasped and whirled around to face the sound, which had come from a darkened alley. Both knew well what the noises indicated, and already the little girl was showing signs of trying to run. Evangeline knew that the child stood no chance of outrunning whatever monster lurked in the alleyway, so she made a low hiss to get the girl’s attention before holding out her hand.

Turning around quickly, her eyes already threatening tears and face as pale as the moon itself, the girl stared at Evangeline for a moment before looking down at their outstretched hand. For a dreadful moment, Evangeline feared that the child would bolt off, regardless. Finally, and thankfully, though, the girl darted forward and grabbed the Hunter’s hand tightly.

Not wasting any time, Evangeline pivoted and began sprinting as fast as she could with the little girl in tow. Their shoes hammered the cobbled streets, Evangeline’s weapons making metallic clinks as they jostled around on her clothing. The little girl was already breathing fast, but she didn’t complain. So, as frustrating as the change of events may have been, Evangeline didn’t think of lecturing the child for being out during the night of a Hunt.

Nearing another alleyway, this one unoccupied and relatively well lit, Evangeline turned down it quickly, the little girl never letting go of her hand. Stopping and facing the child, the Hunter knelt down. She looked over the girl’s face, grimly noting the terror that was written all over their features. Taking in a deep breath to make sure that her voice didn’t waver, Evangeline glanced down both ends of the alleyway. Seeing no immediate threats, the Hunter looked back to the little girl, who was still breathing hard, but hadn’t actually cried.

“Where is your home? Do you know of somewhere safe I can take you?”

For a moment, the little girl didn’t seem to have an answer. Then her face lit up and a hopeful grin spread across her face. She nodded, and turned to look around quickly. Though she didn’t say anything, when the little girl turned back to Evangeline, her hope hadn’t faded by any degree.

“My daddy! He’s a Hunter like you. I-I was trying to find him because my mum… She’s sick. She’s too sick to go out tonight, so I...I snuck out, instead.”

For a brief moment, Evangeline thought the little girl might have been completely mad. But then again, the mind of a child, no matter how heinous the environment, could be a surprisingly strong bastion of innocence. The child must have thought she would be able to find her father before anything bad happened. Coming from an adult, it would have seemed insane, but coming from a child, it was rather heartwarming.

But, crazy or heartwarming, a child should not be out looking for a parent during the night of a Hunt.

“Where is your home?”

“But I need to find my daddy!” the little girl protested.

Wincing at how loud the child’s outburst was, Evangeline held up a finger to her lips, which were currently concealed by a thick layer of cloth-covered leather.

“Sh! Not so loud,” she chided sharply. Quickly regaining her composure and keeping her voice low, Evangeline loosely grasped the girl’s shoulders. “Listen to me. If your father is a Hunter, then he will most certainly be safe on his own for this night. It is not an exceptionally difficult or dangerous Hunt, but it’s not one that you should be out walking around in. We need to get you to the safety of your family and your home, understood?”

For a moment, tears threatened to spill over from the girl’s eyes, but, with a huff, she looked away and nodded reluctantly. Evangeline didn’t derive joy from dampening the child’s spirits, but she was grateful for the fact that the little girl seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. She breathed a short sigh of relief and then nodded, holding out her hand for the little girl to take once again. Though they initially hesitated, the child once again clasped Evangeline’s hand tightly.

“Thank you,” the Hunter whispered under her breath. “Now, which way do-”

A heart-stopping snarl interrupted her, and the two whirled around to see a wolf-like monster at the farthest end of the alleyway, eyeing them both with greedy hunger. Foam dripped from its open maw, which was lined with bloodstained, yellow fangs. Remnants of its previous victim still hung from its bared claws, and the beast was now completely fixated on its newest prey.

“Run,” Evangeline ordered. “Run!”

The little girl made a short, panicked shriek and took off as fast as her legs could carry her. Sprinting, Evangeline ran alongside the child, but was careful to never get ahead of her. If the beast was going to try and go for the littlest prey, then they would have to go through a Hunter, first. And while that may not have been much of a threat to a blood-starved monster, Evangeline intended to make it a fatal mistake for the beast.

“Don’t stop!” Evangeline called, having already freed her Saw Cleaver and Pistol.

Tears now streamed freely down the little girl’s face, but she was still running as fast as she could muster. From behind them, they could both hear the beast slowly gaining on them. It seemed as though the fiend had just enough cruelty left in its mind to savor the chase. Or perhaps it was wounded. Or maybe both. Though Evangeline was going to hope for the second possibility.

Following the little girl as she led them through the winding streets and alleyways of the city, Evangeline glanced around. There were houses, but they were either darkened or appeared so boarded up that the Hunter highly doubted they would be allowed in. It wasn’t like they really had time to stop, either. Sooner or later, Evangeline was going to have to face the beast chasing them. She just hoped it was as the little girl was getting inside their house to safety.

Suddenly, the little girl darted to the left, and Evangeline almost tripped as she skidded to try and keep up. The beast was practically on their heels, and it was only by putting on an extra burst of speed that she was able to avoid being struck. Then, again, the child did another sharp turn, but she was running faster than before. Hopefully, they were nearing the house and the girl was comfortable running faster in a familiar setting.

It was only as they neared one of the fenced plazas near the church that Evangeline felt her heart sink. There were no houses nearby, not unless they were on the lower level below them. No, the closest thing she could see was an entrance to the church itself and...a group of Hunters. They at least appeared to still be sane, but there was an iron fence with a chained gate between them and Evangeline and the little girl.

Nonetheless, the girl was making a straight dash for the group, her pace still surprisingly quick. Between her sudden burst of speed and the sharp corners she had taken, the child had put some distance between herself and Evangeline. Had they been heading towards the little girl’s house, that would have been a good thing, but now…

“Father!” the little girl cried, practically lunging up to grab on and cling to the iron bars of the fence. “Daddy!”

One of the Hunters, a rather tall man with greyish white hair and carrying a well-worn, but no less deadly-looking Axe, stopped in mid-step. He looked around, obviously confused by the outcry, and when he stopped, the rest of the patrolling Hunters did, too. The little girl bounced up, waving quickly, suddenly seeming to be oblivious to the danger she had just been in.

“Annabelle?” the grey-haired Hunter asked. Upon actually seeing the little girl, the man appeared to panic, and he raced to the fence to meet the child. “Annabelle! What are you doing here?! Why did you leave the house?!”

Catching up, Evangeline grabbed the little girl by wrapping an arm around her waist, accidentally scaring her and making her shriek in surprised terror. Clapping a hand over the child’s mouth, Evangeline tried to tug her away from the fence, but the girl held on tightly. The Hunter that appeared to be the little girl’s father shot a blood-chilling scowl at Evangeline, but it disappeared as soon as he recognized the familiar trappings of another Hunter.

“We have to go! We cannot stay here,” Evangeline hissed through ragged pants. “We-”

A now all-too-familiar growl made all three of them stop, and Evangeline slowly turned to face the monster that had inevitably caught up with them. While she was prepared to face and fight the beast, Evangeline now had her back to a fence and a little girl that she had to get over the fence. She glanced down quickly along the fence to the chained gate, noticing with a small degree of relief that the chains were loose and there was a space between where the two gate leaves met. It was small enough to keep beasts and blood-drunk adult Hunters out, but just enough to let a little girl crawl through.

Turning her sharp gaze back to the beast, who was advancing, but slower now in anticipation of its prey trying to flee again, Evangeline pivoted to face the monster. Unholstering her firearm as quickly but inconspicuously as possible, not wanting to spur the beast into action, the Hunter steeled herself over for the incoming fight. She felt the little girl turn and clutch at the back of her coat tightly with one hand, but when Evangeline spoke, her words were for both the child and their father.

“Run to the gate...as fast as you can,” she ordered sternly, gaze never leaving the rabid monster that was pacing towards her and the girl. “There’s a space. You can fit.”

“And you, Hunter?” the girl’s father asked, a foreign accent coating his rough voice.

“This beast is mine.”

Before any argument or anything else could be said, the beast lunged, and Evangeline snatched up the wailing little girl as she bolted for the gate. She heard the sound of gunfire and the girl’s father cursing the bloodthirsty creature, followed by the sound of metal and claw clashing against the iron bars of the gate. Too quickly, however, the beast figured out that it couldn’t get through the bars and that its much easier to reach prey was escaping. It promptly pivoted and gave chase, sprinting to close the gap between it and its quarry.

“Run!” cried the grey-haired Hunter as he raced along the fence to reach the gate.

Skidding to a stop, Evangeline practically shoved the girl into the space between the iron gate leaves, frantically trying to get her through the space. Annabelle cried in both panic and pain, clawing out for her father as soon as he was within reach. Finally, though, she managed to squeeze through the gap and more or less fell into her father’s open arms. He hugged her tight and close, but just as quickly snapped his attention back to his daughter’s unexpected savior.

“Hunter! Behind you!”

Evangeline had only pivoted halfway when the beast slammed into her, making the gate leaves creak and buckle while putting a hideous ringing in her ears. She was vaguely aware of the cracking noise that emanated from her left shoulder, but was acutely aware of the fact it sent a shock of pain that made her drop her Pistol. Then there was the fiery agony that could only be left by the monster’s disease ridden claws, but Evangeline was able to grab the beast’s bloodied muzzle as it lunged to try and bite open her throat. Though her right hand still retained its strength, it felt as though she only had half the strength in her left arm, and the creature’s fangs cut through her glove and the soft flesh of her hand.

Glaring down at the monstrosity, desperate to get to her Saw Cleaver, Evangeline momentarily entertained the idea of headbutting the thing to try and get any sort of distance between herself and it. Fortunately, she hesitated just long enough to hear a gunshot, followed by something hot and metallic whizzing through her heavily tousled, bronze-blonde hair. It grazed across her neck, the familiar, white-hot heat of a bullet making Evangeline freeze for a split second. Then there was a splash of blood that reeked more than the beast itself, but that hardly mattered at the moment. The bullet had found its mark, and the creature shrieked and clutched at its profusely bleeding face as it staggered back.

From behind her, Evangeline could hear Annabelle’s father yelling at her to run, but something deep inside her had taken hold. Whether it was the pain radiating in pulses through her body, the knowledge that a lowly beast had caused it, or both, she wasn’t sure. All she knew at the moment was that she was going to teach this insolent bastard a lesson that they would never forget.

Now free to wield her Saw Cleaver, Evangeline held on tightly to the handle, and darted forward. She brought the blade down hard on the creature’s hands, which were still clutching at its head. Finding a sort of wild satisfaction at the sight of blood spurting up from severed digits, Evangeline moved back a quick pace and then to the left, laughing derisively at the sight of the beast swinging at her with paws that now only had thumbs. The pain in her left side was incredible, and had borderline paralyzed her left arm, but right now, the Hunter didn’t care.

From behind the gate, Father Gascoigne watched with a sinking feeling in his heart as the Hunter that had just saved his daughter engaged a blood-hungry beast while obviously wounded. He looked down at Annabelle, who was hiding her face against his jacket. He had to get her to safety, but Gascoigne knew he couldn’t just leave this new Hunter to their own devices. Whether he had to drag them to safety or...give them as clean and painless a death as possible, he couldn’t just leave, no matter how badly he wanted to get his daughter home.

“Gascoigne!”

Henryk was almost immediately at his side, helping move Annabelle back but fixated on the sight of the female Hunter swinging and hacking in mad delight at the wounded and dying beast that had been pursuing her and Gascoigne’s youngest daughter. He glanced up at his taller colleague, concerned as to what they were thinking...even if he already had a pretty good idea as to what Gascoigne was planning. Grabbing his compatriot’s arm to get their attention, Henryk spoke loud enough that Gascoigne, Annabelle, and the other three Hunters that had been patrolling with them could hear.

“There’s a safe route through the church that we can use to get Annabelle back home, but this Hunter-”

“She’s…” Gascoigne trailed off, his face twitching in a quick grimace. He didn’t want to risk voicing his suspicions of the female Hunter becoming blood-drunk and have the three, less experienced Hunters try to play hero and attack her.

“Let’s hope not,” Henryk muttered under his breath as he started towards the battered and bent gate.

Looking down to Annabelle, Gascoigne knelt quickly and looked at her through the cloth that he wore across his eyes. Her tears had ceased, but the little girl still appeared to be quite distressed, as though her mistake of wandering out and being chased had finally caught up with her. Giving her a weak, but adoring smile, Gascoigne quickly wiped away her tears and gave her forehead a quick kiss.

“Get to the church. You’ll be safe there and I’ll be there shortly. I-”

“You’re going to save her, right?” Annabelle asked quietly, her voice tight and wavering.

“Yes. I am. I am going to go save her right now, but I need to know that you will be safe as well, okay?”

Nodding quickly, Annabelle turned to the other three Hunters that had stepped forward at Gascoigne’s beckon. She recognized two of them, and the fact that they were with her father was enough. Running over to them, Annabelle cast one last look over her shoulder as she watched her father follow grandad Henryk towards the gate.

It was only when she got to the church doorway that she heard the shriek.

It was a shriek unlike any she had heard, and not only did Annabelle gasp audibly and pivot, but so did the three Hunters with her. It was undoubtedly feminine, but it wasn’t human. It wasn’t beastly, either, however. It sounded almost like the spectres that her father and grandad would tell her stories about. Spectres from a cold kingdom of ice and snow and people that played with the dangerous blood.

Gascoigne and Henryk heard the shriek, too.

They were, in fact, right at the gate and trying to break open the lock when Henryk had seen the female Hunter stagger from a particularly grievous bite by the bloodthirsty monster she was fighting. Frustratingly enough, it appeared that the woman was starting to go mad and was actually _toying_ with her attacker. She was in no shape to be doing so. At least, that’s what Henryk had thought until she snapped her head back and shrieked the most inhuman scream the Hunter had heard in ages.

The air seemed to ripple from around her, and even the beast, in all of its blood-crazed hunger, stopped and stumbled back a couple paces. It appeared confused by the fact that the wounds it had inflicted on its prey only seemed to make them fight fiercer. And now...now Evangeline could barely feel the pain of her wounds, and instead could only feel the exhilarating rush of her blood dripping down her stomach, leg, and arm. The droplets pattered onto the ground and her weapon’s blade, and that’s exactly what she needed at this moment.

Screaming again, though this time in a far more human tone, Evangeline lunged forward and swung in a wide, horizontal arc. The teeth of the blade cut through the softer flesh of the beast’s open maw, ripping deep and severing the thing’s lower jaw. Blood spurted and gushed from the killing wound, and with a loud, garbled whine, the monster staggered back, clutching at where its lower jaw had once been, before falling backwards as its blood and body turned to ash in its dying moments.

And then the pain was back...with a crippling vengeance.

Both Henryk and Gascoigne were regarding the female Hunter with cautious suspicion. Neither could tell if she had fully turned or if she had simply gotten caught up in the heat of the fight. Her posture went rigid and it appeared that she was simply standing there, her left arm hanging limply at her side, and bleeding from her wounds. They could see the faint wisps of fog from her panted breaths, but she stood still with her back to them.

“Hunter?” Gascoigne called out, his voice firm but still housing the slightest twinge of hope. He turned his head a slight degree, and though he kept his attention on the female Hunter, what he said was for Henryk. “...I’d rather not have to kill her. Not after she-”

Hearing the voice and recognizing the accent, Evangeline blinked a couple times, her heart still racing and breath still short. Then, realizing she hadn’t responded, she turned her head and shuffled weakly to face the Hunter. In the back of her thoughts, she was faintly aware that she must appear to be quite the fright, and that her furious shriek at the beast’s insolence hadn’t helped things at all. So, with what energy she had left, Evangeline tried to muster up a weak, half-smile and wave with her ripped open hand.

“I’ve never seen a beast smile and wave before,” Henryk said quickly, immediately beginning to struggle with the chains and lock. “You would think these damn church goers would want an easier way into the plaza.”

“They do...during the day,” Gascoigne replied grimly and under his breath. He looked up at the female Hunter, wincing inwardly at the sight of her injuries and the definite limp she now had in her gait. Beckoning for her to continue forward, Gascoigne waited until she was close enough that he didn’t have to raise his voice. “Hunter...your name, please.”

“Evan…” The young woman more or less collapsed against the gate leaf that Gascoigne was behind, holding on tightly to the bars with both hands. She took in a few deep breaths, then looked up at Gascoigne with dark green, bloodshot eyes. “Evangeline. I-”

A chorus of approaching growls made Evangeline stop and she slowly turned to look over her shoulder. She could see the shadows of more beast drawing closer, undoubtedly drawn by the sounds of a fight. Turning back to the two male Hunters, clutching tightly at the gate bars, Evangeline managed a nervous twitter of laughter as she glanced to the one that was now trying to bash open the lock with the butt of his gun.

“Please tell me one of you has a key,” she rasped.

“The drainage system,” the grey-haired Hunter said suddenly. He turned his attention back to Evangeline and motioned for her to run to the far end of the fence towards what appeared to be a small alleyway. “You can get into the plaza using the drainage system. There should be a ladder at the end of a tight alleyway. The beasts can’t follow, and once you’re in the plaza-”

“A drainage system?” Evangeline demanded incredulously. Despite her injuries and the danger, the idea of wading through Old Ones only knew what was in the muck from the church was hardly appealing.

The grey-haired hunter suddenly grabbed her right hand, making Evangeline gasp and snap out of her indignant posture. His eyes were concealed by strips of dirty, white cloth, but despite them, Evangeline could feel his gaze piercing straight to her own. When he spoke, his voice was stern and almost reprimanding, but the grip he had on Evangeline’s hand through the gate bars was almost...comforting, in an odd way.

“Listen to me. There is no time to argue nor to consider appearances,” he hissed. “We cannot open the gate in time, and if we do, we run the risk of letting the beasts into the plaza, which is precisely the opposite of what we have spent all night doing. There is no other route you can safely take. Henryk and I can help you with a little gunfire, but it will not stop all of those beasts. Run now, or you will be killed by those things.”

Glancing down at the Hunter’s gloved hand, Evangeline momentarily considered what she was being told, then nodded quickly. The grey-haired Hunter gave his own nod of approval, and then Evangeline pivoted and began running towards the alleyway as fast as her wounded body would allow. While the injuries on her leg weren’t enough to hinder her pace too much, the throbbing pain in her left shoulder was enough she had to cradle her left arm to her as she ran along the fence.

From behind her, she could hear the grey-haired Hunter and his compatriot, Henryk, that was his name, shouting at the beasts that were closing in to get their attention. The shouts were soon followed by the cracks of gunfire, and for a brief moment, Evangeline had the blissfully ignorant thought that she was going to make it to the alleyway without incident. But no sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she heard one of the creatures snarl in angry surprise.

She’d been spotted.

“Evangeline! Run!”

It only took one of the beasts spotting the female Hunter for the other two to follow suit. Henryk and Gascoigne had managed to keep their attention for a short while, between insults and gunfire, but it was a short-lived distraction. As soon as the first beast took off after Evangeline, Gascoigne began running along the fence, reloading his firearm as quickly as he could. If he could cripple the creature, that’d be one less beast chasing after the female Hunter.

Henryk was close behind, and he appeared to have the same idea as Gascoigne. He managed to reload his weapon faster, skidded to a halt, took aim, and fired. The bullet whizzed between the fence bars, and though it struck the second beast, the bullet embedded itself in the fiend’s shoulder. Not enough to slow it down. Cursing under his breath, Henryk took off again, reloading his firearm and sprinting to catch up.

Noting that Evangeline was almost to the alleyway, Gascoigne gritted his teeth and put on an extra burst of speed. He managed to get just enough ahead of the first beast that the shot he fired plunged into the creature’s hip, making it yelp and stagger. Unable to help the quick bark of a victorious laugh, Gascoigne looked up to see Evangeline slipping into the alleyway. Relief flooded through him and the Hunter slowed his pace, hearing Henryk run up behind him.

“She made it,” Henryk commented breathlessly. “Hurry. We need to get to the passageway. I doubt she’s going to have much energy left in her after the climb.”

Nodding, Gascoigne followed close behind Henryk into the church and down the circular stairway that led to the maintenance tunnels. The smell was almost overpowering, but neither paid it much heed. Henryk turned a right and darted down the narrow passageway, and Gascoigne frowned at the sound of the beasts, now above them, still snarling and trying to get into an alleyway too narrow for them. He could only hope that Evangeline still had enough strength left to not slip and fall down the ladder.

Meanwhile, at the top of the ladder in question, Evangeline peeked over the edge. She could faintly see torchlight emanating from a tunnel that fed into what appeared to be a drainage pool. Judging by the smell, it was not, fortunately, sewage. Instead, it had the overwhelming smell of rose water, incense, wine, and...something else that Evangeline couldn’t identify. Well, if she fell, at least it wouldn’t be into raw sewage.

With a groan and a grimace, she knelt down and shuffled down onto the ladder. Her left shoulder screamed in protest, and Evangeline had to press her entire body against the splintery wood of the ladder to be able to hold onto the rungs with her left hand. Wincing at the feel of the wood shards biting into the opened flesh of her hand, Evangeline began the slow descent down. She could faintly hear the sound of approaching footsteps, but didn’t dare call out for fear that it may not be the two Hunters she was hoping to see.

Halfway down the ladder, Evangeline noticed that the torchlight had gotten brighter, and she paused to both catch her breath and look down. It was with no small bit of relief that she was able to confirm that the light was brighter, and Evangeline wished above all else that the ladder she was on was shorter. Wishing, however, wasn’t going to get the climb accomplished, so, with a wince and grunt of effort, she resumed the slow descent down.

Unfortunately, she was about to get her wish…

She had been so focused on favoring her left arm that when her right foot didn’t find the safety of a ladder rung beneath it, Evangeline’s grip faltered. She had already let go with her right hand, and in a panic, she grabbed the nearest rung with her wounded hand. Paralyzing pain shot through her left arm, snagged in her shoulder, and as she fell down, her left hand slid open, unable to hold on. A panicked shriek tore from Evangeline’s throat and she plummeted to the pool down below.

Even though she was falling into a pool of a viscous liquid, Evangeline fell flat on her back, and it was almost no different than falling onto concrete. The sudden impact knocked the breath out of her just as the thick liquid enveloped her and began pulling her to the bottom. Her vision swam sickeningly, and her thoughts were fragmented by pain and shock. Whatever strength she had left was gone, bled out from her. And as darkness began to seep around the edges of her vision, Evangeline willingly slipped into the warm, suffocating embrace of the pool that was to be her grave.

Something suddenly wrapped around her wrist and pulled her up with enough strength and speed that it seemed to shock life back into Evangeline’s body. Her eyes snapped open and she tried to gasp, but only got a lungful of whatever liquid had almost become her final resting place. And then, she was instantly above the surface, strong arms holding her up enough to feel the cold air on her face. Immediately, Evangeline began retching and coughing sharply, her lungs desperate to dispel the liquid filling them.

“That’s it, that’s it! Breathe!”

Despite the human voice, Evangeline was suddenly aware that, through the smell of incense, wine, rose water and wax, there was the stench of a beast. A very strong and deadly one. She coughed a gasp and swung feebly with her right arm, managing a weak strike to what she assumed was the monster’s head. Her vision was still blurred and occasionally threatened to darken completely, but Evangeline refused to fall to a beast. She would rather drown.

“Evangeline! It’s me! Stop, it’s us! You’re safe, now.”

That voice. That accent.

Blinking tightly and slowly, trying to clear her vision in between hoarse coughs, Evangeline looked up blearily at the thing that had her in a tight embrace. Despite her weakened sight, she could make out the concerned visage of the grey-haired Hunter. The little girl’s father. The one that had told her to run to the alleyway. And, faintly, through the spaces of the cloth that were bound across his eyes, Evangeline could make out a small glimpse of one of the Hunter’s eyes. They were a startingly pale blue color, and almost so pale they looked white, but before she could get a better look, the Hunter was wading through the pool and carrying her towards a tunnel.

Too weak to do anything, Evangeline just let herself collapse against him, burying her face against the crook of his neck. The smell of beast was, oddly enough, already fading, and Evangeline weakly reached up to grip at the Hunter’s coat sleeve. She felt cold, now, and it still didn’t feel like she could breathe properly. But she was alive, and judging by her current company, she was as safe as possible for the moment.

As he waded through the viscous liquid, Gascoigne shrugged and, with a short grunt, hoisted Evangeline a little higher out of the muck. When he and Henryk had seen her plummet into the pool, they’d both feared they wouldn’t be able to find her before she drown. By sheer luck, a shred of the woman’s jacket had fluttered up and caught Henryk’s sight, but Gascoigne had been the one close enough to pull her up.

The left side of his face still ached a small twinge from the feeble punch Evangeline had landed, but he thought nothing of it. It hadn’t been the first time that a survivor had been panicked enough that they’d lashed out blindly. And, to be honest, Gascoigne was impressed the woman had any fight left in her after everything she had been through in such a short time.

“Glad you saw her,” he said to Henryk, who was wading through the pool alongside him.

“I’m just glad you were close enough to grab her. The pool only gets deeper the closer to the center you go. Where she landed...well, I doubt either of us would have been able to swim to her in time if she’d gotten to the bottom.”

Though he started to answer, Gascoigne heard Evangeline weakly whisper something to him, her voice barely above a gasped rasp. He paused and tilted his head to the side, resting his cheek against the top of Evangeline’s head, trying to indicate that he was listening. When she didn’t answer, he gave her a very gentle shake, momentarily worried that the woman was dying in his arms. But then Evangeline coughed again and lifted her head just enough to speak.

“...name...your name…” Her voice was strained and wispy. “...never...got your...name.”

Grateful that Evangeline appeared to still have enough of her wits and sense to want small talk, Gascoigne breathed a short sigh of relief as he and Henryk waded out of the pool. As soon as he was able, he hooked an arm under Evangeline's knees and scooped her up so that he was cradling her. Though she was rather heavy given that she was sopping wet and clad in full Hunter gear, Gascoigne wasn’t about to let her feet and legs drag along the passageway as though she were a sack of potatoes.

“Gascoigne,” he replied. “My name is Gascoigne.”

Henryk glanced up at his compatriot in confusion, having not heard Evangeline’s whisper. But when Gascoigne looked back at him and then motioned with their head to the young woman they were cradling, Henryk made a short noise of acknowledgment and understanding. He sighed briefly and looked over the poor, female Hunter’s battered body. She was in definite need of medical attention, but both had already agreed that they were going to take her directly to Iosefka’s clinic.

“I’m surprised she even has the mind for chit chat. I doubt that I would after a fall like that,” Henryk commented. He then raised an eyebrow and looked back up at Gascoigne, but when he spoke, he wasn’t able to completely stifle his faintly amused chuckle. “How’s your face? I saw that swing she took at you.”

“Surprisingly sore,” Gascoigne replied with a laugh. “Though, I suppose that’s a good thing, all things considered. Means she still has a little bit of fight left in her.”

Evangeline whined weakly and tried to curl up further in Gascoigne’s arms, tremors starting to ripple through her body. Frowning, Gascoigne looked down at the Hunter, then to his compatriot. They were running out of time, and would have to hurry if they didn’t want to deliver a corpse to Iosefka.

“I think she is trying to go into shock,” he muttered. “We have to be quick.”

Nodding, Henryk jogged ahead of Gascoigne, opening door to the stairway and ensuring the path was clear. He knew the Hunt was almost over, but that didn’t mean there couldn’t be a few, straggling beasts that were starved enough to linger until dawn. Gascoigne wouldn’t be able to fight with Evangeline in their arms, so Henryk took point and led the way, making sure the coast was clear.

Though she vaguely aware that she was being carried, Evangeline had no idea to where. Her thoughts were still broken and hard to focus, and she found some solace in the rhythmic thudding of...Gascoigne, yes, that was his name...Gascoigne’s heartbeat. She could hear it through his thick clothing, and it seemed to help steady her own, fluttering heartbeat. Her weak grip on one of the folds of his coat never faltered, even when she felt the first rays of sunlight brush against her skin.

Evangeline’s last, fading thoughts were of Gascoigne and Henryk giving a rushed and hushed explanation to third, unknown person. They had a feminine voice, but not one that Evangeline recognized. Then again, it wasn’t like she knew anybody in the city, either. She had fled here...had been forced out of her home…

No...taken...she had been taken from her home…

Taken. Degraded. Humiliated.

As she was laid down onto a invitingly comfortable surface, Evangeline looked up as darkness once again seeped into her vision. She found herself gazing up at those same, strikingly pale blue eyes, and though Gascoigne was saying something, Evangeline couldn’t hear it. Instead, she simply fixated on how odd and catching his eye color was, unable to do much else.

And then her world went black.


	2. A Stranger of a Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wounds tended to by the talented Iosefka, Evangeline finds herself back on the cold streets. Before she can disappear back into the shadows to nurse her injuries and bruised pride, however, Evangeline is given an offer that she reluctantly accepts out of necessity.

Sighing and leaning back for a brief moment to try and ease out some of the stiffness in her back, Iosefka looked over the work she had done so far. Overall, and all things considered, she had done an impressive amount of work in a small amount of time. She had been expecting a few victims of the Hunt, but she hadn’t expected Father Gascoigne and the Old Hunter Henryk to come barging into her clinic carrying a half-dead Hunter.

“I’m surprised she’s still alive,” Iosefka murmured, resuming stitching close one of the gashes on the Hunter’s thigh. “Between the blood loss and bruising, she took quite a beating out there.”

“Your help is invaluable and always appreciated,” Henryk replied quietly, his gaze flicking to the doorway.

Father Gascoigne had been in an understandable hurry to return to his family and ensure that Annabelle had made it safely home. While he had promised, despite Henryk’s assurances, to return to the clinic once he had been able to ensure that his daughter was safe, the Old Hunter found himself wondering if Gascoigne would return. In any case, he supposed it didn’t really matter. As soon as this Hunter Evangeline was healed and able to walk, she would be returned to her home to finish recovering.

“Thank you.” Iosefka managed a grim smile and shook her head. “I must admit, you two gave me quite the shock when you brought her in here.”

“Ah, apologies for the brusque entrance,” Henryk chuckled. “We were in a hurry.”

“I can certainly see why.”

Hearing a knock at the door on the lower floor, Henryk rose from his chair. Unless there was a patient late coming in from the Hunt, it appeared that Gascoigne had kept his word. Giving a courteous nod to Iosefka, Henryk made his way to the operating room door.

“It seems that Gascoigne has returned. That or you have another patient. I trust you don’t mind if I let either in?”

“While I am going to hope that it is your compatriot, I have no qualms about him or another patient entering. I should be finished with your Hunter shortly.”

Nodding in appreciation and acknowledgment, Henryk left the operating room to see who was at the door.

Returning her attention to the Hunter, Iosefka carefully moved Evangeline onto their side so that she could tend to the gashes on the woman’s back. Fortunately, once most of the tattered, soaked armor had been removed, the Hunter was relatively lightweight. And as she pulled away the ruined armor to reveal foreign, soaked clothing, Iosefka frowned at the sight of thick scars from already healed, but unattended to, wounds. She began stitching the gashes shut, but the doctor couldn’t help but glance over at the ghosts of past wounds that marked Evangeline’s skin.

“Who did this to you, I wonder?” Iosefka whispered to herself, placing bandages over the stitches to soak up any excess blood and keep them covered. “It most certainly wasn’t a kind hand that did.”

Sighing and dropping the shredded pieces of the Hunter’s armor that she had peeled off onto the floor, Iosefka looked up at the large vial of blood she had hooked up as a slow feed transfusion. While blood was in short supply, it had been absolutely necessary to pull Evangeline back from the brink of death. It had taken surprisingly less than Iosefka had initially surmised, but the doctor wasn’t about to complain. Blood was in short supply and the less she had to use on one meant more for a possible other.

Sighing and pulling the blood-soaked, once-white shirt back down to conceal Evangeline’s wounded back, Iosefka let the woman lay back down. She looked over with satisfaction at the firmly bound bandages and sling that had been needed once the Hunter’s shoulder had been relocated. Having faith in the stitches she had sewn to close the worst of the gashes Evangeline had suffered, Iosefka checked to ensure that the blood transfusion was still slowly feeding into the Hunter before pulling a blanket over the woman and wheeling away her table of operating tools.

As she carefully and immaculately cleaned the bloodied tools, Iosefka could hear footsteps coming up the stairwell to the second floor. When they drew closer, the doctor could hear the heavy footfalls of Hunters, and noted, with some relief, that it must be Henryk and Gascoigne. For the moment, Iosefka wasn’t sure she could handle another patient brought to her in the state that Evangeline had been.

Fortunately, when the two opened the door, they were bereft of any new, wounded Hunters. Instead, Gascoigne gave a courteous nod to Iosefka before looking over at Evangeline, who still appeared to be deep in sleep. For a moment, the doctor thought that Gascoigne might even go so far as to go to the Hunter’s bedside, but he refrained. And when he spoke, his words were for Iosefka.

“Did she ever awaken?”

“Not completely. She did murmur a few, nonsensical things while slipping in and out of consciousness, but she never fully awoke.”

“Do you believe she would even be able to return to her home by herself?” Henryk inquired, eyeing the pile of bloody bandages that littered the floor around the operating table.

“About that…” Iosefka trailed off, not sure if she should mention her findings to the two Hunters. Then again, she couldn’t have the Hunter living here at the clinic, either. Furthermore, if what Henryk had said was true about Evangeline saving one of Gascoigne’s daughters, then Iosefka highly doubted either Hunter would be inclined to harm the woman. “I...don’t believe that her home is anywhere near here. Nor do I believe she would be very eager to return.”

Both Hunters frowned at Iosefka in confusion, and, after a moment’s hesitation, the doctor beckoned them closer as she walked over to the side of the operating table. The men followed, glancing over Evangeline’s still body briefly before looking back to Iosefka. The doctor carefully pulled down the blanket and motioned to the woman’s stained, tattered shirt.

“These clothes aren’t from around here, and she was wearing them when you brought her in. And to possibly complicate matters…” Iosefka leaned over and gently pulled Evangeline back onto her side before tugging up the woman’s shirt a little; just enough to reveal some of the scars. “These scars are all over her back and shoulders, and they’re not from the claws of any beast I know of.”

“Then what are they from?” Henryk asked thoughtfully, looking up at Iosefka.

“A whip,” Iosefka answered flatly.

Henryk stopped and Gascoigne bristled at the statement, and an uneasy silence fell over the room. Not wanting to risk further aggravation to Evangeline’s wounds, Iosefka pulled their shirt back down and tucked the woman back in carefully. She straightened her posture and looked up at the two Hunters, who were gazing down at Evangeline thoughtfully. Though most of Henryk’s face was concealed by his armor, there was no missing the frown furrowed into his brow. Gascoigne’s expression, one of anger and disgust, was far more visible and readable.

“While I certainly cannot say for sure and we won’t know until she awakens, I would venture to say that this Evangeline you found may not have a home to return to. Or she may not want to return to.”

The uneasy silence returned, and all three of their gazes looked to the still form of Evangeline. None of them really knew what to say in light of Iosefka’s educated guess. The evidence was there, but the doctor had also made a good point. There would be no knowing for certain until the Hunter awoke.

“In any case, you two needn’t worry,” Iosefka assured. “I’m not about to throw her out onto the streets wounded and unconscious. You two undoubtedly had a long night and I’m sure would like to return to your own homes by now. When she awakens, I will speak to her and find out what I can.”

Henryk and Gascoigne cast a quick glance between each other, but then Henryk nodded and exited the operating room. Only Gascoigne lingered, and after a moment, Iosefka gave him a concerned tilt of her head. She took a step towards the Hunter, trying to get his attention.

“Father Gascoigne?” Iosefka asked.

Appearing to snap out of his thoughts, the grey-haired Hunter looked to Iosefka. He paused, appearing to try to decide whether or not he should say what was on his mind. Finally, though, he spoke.

“When she awakens, let me know,” he murmured.

“I…” Iosefka stopped, obviously confused by the request. “I can do that, but may I ask why?”

“Curiosity,” Gascoigne answered shortly. He stopped, then nodded to Iosefka. “I would greatly appreciate it.”

With that, the Hunter turned and left the room, leaving a puzzled and curious Iosefka in his wake.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t until the dawn of the next day that Evangeline began to show the first signs of stirring. Iosefka had kept the woman sedated for the night, not wanting to risk the Hunter running off to try and join a Hunt they had no business being in and putting the rest of her patients at risk in the process. But as dawn broke, Evangeline began to weakly shift around under the blankets draped over her. Iosefka had just replaced the bandages when she heard a firm knock at the door.

Frowning, Iosefka quickly cleaned her hands and made her way downstairs. She peeked through the small, barred window on the clinic door and was surprised to see a familiar figure waiting patiently. Straightening her posture, Iosefka opened the door a little and peered up at the Hunter.

“Father Gascoigne? May I help you?”

“Is she awake?”

“Not yet, though she-”

A loud thud followed by a crash cut Iosefka off, and she whirled around. Not bothering to shut the door, assuming that Father Gascoigne would have the sense to at least close the door, the doctor darted up the stairs. For the second surprise of that morning, she could hear Gascoigne following close behind. She momentarily thought to tell him that she didn’t need his assistance, but Iosefka didn’t want to argue. Not now.

When they reached the room, Evangeline was collapsed on the floor, holding herself up with her right hand and knees. She was clinging to the blanket, and, despite its warmth, was trembling intermittently. Her clothes, though now dry, hung loosely on her body and her stringy hair was concealing her face. And as both Iosefka and Gascoigne drew closer, they could faintly hear Evangeline reciting what sounded like a fervent, whispered prayer.

“Evangeline?” Iosefka asked, kneeling down.

Gasping sharply and snapping her wild-eyed gaze up, Evangeline backed up quickly, her back hitting the bars of the operating table she had just fallen from. She looked between Iosefka and Gascoigne frantically, as though waiting for one of them to strike. But they both remained still, save for the shuffling pace Gascoigne took back to try and give the doctor and their patient some room. Despite what had happened two nights prior, he highly doubted his appearance was any semblance of comforting.

“Don’t be afraid. You’re safe. You were brought to my clinic yesterday morning,” Iosefka explained, her voice unwavering but soft.

“I…” Stopping, Evangeline frowned and looked around the room slowly, as though just now realizing her surroundings. Then she looked back to Iosefka in alarm. “Yesterday? I-I slept an entire day?!”

“You should consider yourself lucky that you woke up at all,” Iosefka chided gently. “When Father Gascoigne brought you in here, I feared the worst.”

“Father…” Trailing off again, Evangeline seemed to mull over the name before looking up at Gascoigne. “You… You brought me here?”

Gascoigne only nodded in reply.

“Oh.” Then Evangeline sighed heavily and sat down on the floor, rubbing her face with her hand. She looked around the room again before returning her gaze to Iosefka. “I...I apologize. I didn’t know where I was and…”

“It’s alright,” Iosefka assured, rising to her feet. She then held out a hand. “Can you stand?”

Appearing momentarily confused by the question, Evangeline then nodded shortly and grasped Iosefka’s hand. With a grimace and the doctor’s help, she got to her feet, and though she swayed briefly, Evangeline composed herself. She looked over her arm that was in the sling, then to Iosefka. The doctor gave her a knowing but comforting smile.

“Your injuries were...extensive,” Iosefka explained.

“Ah, right.” Evangeline winced again, but this time it wasn’t from physical pain. “I...fear that I don’t have much in the way of payment, however.”

“I consider the fact that you help keep the streets clear of bloodthirsty beasts and monsters payment enough,” Iosefka interjected with a quick wave of her hand. “And while donations are always appreciated, they are not necessary. I am going to also suggest that you wait until your injuries have healed before going on another Hunt. Otherwise you may find yourself back in my clinic.”

The statement made Evangeline pause. She hadn’t thought about that. Thus far, she had been able to get away with sleeping in alleyways and abandoned shops. She hadn’t thought what she would do if she was injured this badly. Then again, Evangeline hadn’t thought about encountering a little girl hellbent on finding her father in the middle of a Hunt.

It was then she noticed that both Iosefka and Gascoigne were looking at her expectantly.

“Ah, yes, yes. Of course. I’ll...be sure to recover before going back to the Hunt,” Evangeline replied, hoping that she sounded convincing.

“And you have somewhere safe you can stay?” Gascoigne asked.

Starting slightly at the Hunter’s voice, Evangeline looked at him and, after a momentary hesitation, nodded.

“Yes. I do.”

“May I ask where?” Iosefka inquired, trying to carefully press the subject.

Feeling herself inwardly tense at what was fast beginning to feel like an interrogation, Evangeline forced a small but polite smile. She quickly thought over all the shop signs she had seen during her short time in the city. More importantly, she was trying to remember one that had been the least damaged and appeared to belong to a building that had only been recently vacated. Finally…

“Bishop’s….Apothecary,” Evangeline replied haltingly. She quickly regained her smile, though, and nodded in confirmation. “That’s the one.”

“He’s letting people stay there?” Iosefka asked in surprise. She then laughed shortly and shook her head. “I suppose the threat of beasts knocking down his door finally changed his mind. At least to letting Hunters in...”

Though she was ready to relax when it seemed that the good doctor had bought her lie, the fact that Father Gascoigne was silent sent a twinge of unease through Evangeline. She was hoping against hope that the Hunter hadn’t come across the ransacked apothecary. At least, not yet. It would give Evangeline enough time to find a new hiding spot for the coming nights.

“Then tell him I said ‘hello’ and do take care of yourself, Hunter,” Iosefka said with a nod. “There seems to be fewer and fewer of your type these days.”

“Thank you,” Evangeline murmured.

Quickly taking her leave, Evangeline darted down the stairs as fast as her aching legs would allow. She almost ran right by the desk in what must have been the waiting room for the clinic, but Evangeline paused when she saw what appeared to be a donation plate. After mulling over her situation, Evangeline sighed and dug what little money she had left in her pockets and dropped it in the plate. It wasn’t like she really needed the money anymore, anyways.

The main question was how was she to get another set of Hunter’s gear.

As she stepped out into the sunlight, which was partially concealed by grey clouds that threatened rain, Evangeline looked up and down the streets. She could see a few coffins still propped up, and, as grim as it was, they may hold the bodies of Hunters that wouldn’t really have use for their gear any longer. Perhaps when night fell, and if she could at least get her hands on a halfway decent and operable weapon, Evangeline could-

“Bishop’s Apothecary, did you say?”

Gascoigne’s voice made Evangeline freeze. This Hunter was a persistent one, she had to give him that.

Promptly assuming her small, polite smile, Evangeline turned to face Gascoigne. She had always considered herself a fairly tall woman, but he practically towered over her. Evangeline had to shuffle back a step so she wasn’t craning her already sore neck to look up at him. Fortunately, Gascoigne didn’t seem to notice or care, as he simply looked back at Evangeline, awaiting an answer.

“Yes. That’s what I said.”

“Hmn,” Gascoigne acknowledged with a faint nod. He crossed his arms and sighed, and, despite the bandages covering his eyes, Evangeline could see that he had quirked an eyebrow inquisitively. It was not an expression she wanted him to be wearing right now. “You must be quite the talented Hunter, then, if you’re going to tell old Bishop hello. Talented enough to talk to the dead.”

Her smile immediately evaporated and a somewhat odd expression, one of both apprehension and anger, like a cornered animal, settled firmly on Evangeline’s features. For a brief moment, Gascoigne wondered if the woman was going to lash out. She was in no state to be fighting, but that didn’t seem to be a concern for her. So, in an attempt to try and put her at ease, Gascoigne gave her a faint, half-smile.

“Henryk and I found the apothecary two nights ago. Iosefka doesn’t leave her clinic enough to know, and neither of us had the heart to tell her.”

Whether it was the smile or the statement, or both, Evangeline appeared to relax a slight degree. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, then tilted her head inquisitively. Despite her injuries, Evangeline still appeared relatively able-bodied, but Gascoigne didn’t want to risk her running off and getting hidden in the city.

“So… Now that you know I’m lying, what do you intend to do to me, Father Gascoigne?” Evangeline asked. Her tone was curt, but not impolite.

“You almost sound like Viola when I’ve caught her in a lie,” Gascoigne chuckled. He paused for a moment, thinking over the long conversation he had had with his wife and children the previous night, then looked back to Evangeline. “I wanted to extend an offer…”

“Offer?” Evangeline repeated, sounding puzzled.

“Yes. You are welcome to stay with my family and I, on the conditions that you help around the house, including keeping it safe, and do not cause...problems.” Gascoigne appeared to hesitate on the last word, but he managed. “You can, of course, return to the Hunt once your wounds have healed, should you so choose. That would be considered assisting in keeping the home safe.”

Blinking up at Gascoigne, Evangeline waited for more, but the Hunter was silent. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn’t find her voice. She tried again, but only managed a weak stammer before going quiet once more. This entire journey was going so far from what she had planned that Evangeline wasn’t even sure it was her own, any more.

A low rumble of thunder made them both look up at the darkening skies, and Gascoigne chuckled dryly.

“While I am willing to give you more time to consider, it seems that the weather is not.” He looked back to Evangeline, who was still obviously torn on what to do. “No offense will be taken, regardless of your decision. However…”

When Gascoigne trailed off, Evangeline looked away from the skies and back to the Hunter. A somewhat solemn expression was on his face, and she had to tilt her head and lean towards him to bring him out of his thoughts.

“You saved my youngest daughter,” Gascoigne stated firmly. “A safe place is the least I can do in return.”

“Oh, I-I wasn’t expecting repayment-”

“I know. It is why the offer is there.”

“Oh…” Evangeline thought a bit longer...and then the first raindrop fell onto her hand. She glared down at it, irritated that she wasn’t going to have the time she wanted to consider an offer of such gravity. The seemingly generous Father Gascoigne didn’t seem to know exactly who, or rather, _what_ he was inviting into his home, and Evangeline wasn’t sure she could, in good conscience, let him do so while remaining ignorant of his guest’s past. “I-”

A sudden crack of thunder made Evangeline startle and she jumped, hugging herself as the winds began to pick up. Gascoigne frowned at the chill in the air, noticing that the rain was starting to fall harder. He wasn’t about to stand out in the rain, but he was curious at Evangeline’s apparent hesitation. It almost seemed as though she was afraid to accept, but why, he had no idea.

“Yes, please,” Evangeline finally cried, wincing as the cold bit at her bones and made her wounds ache. “Just...at least for as long as the storm lasts.”

Well, that was something, at least. With a nod, Gascoigne motioned down the street.

“This way.”

Evangeline followed, her pace brisk even though Gascoigne thought he was making sure to not walk too fast, despite the worsening weather. Then realization hit him and he sighed, stopping. Evangeline started to ask what was wrong, but by that point, Gascoigne had already taken off his overcoat. He quickly shook it off and then looked to Evangeline.

“Oh, no, no, you don’t have to,” Evangeline said with a shake of her head.

“I know I do not have to,” Gascoigne replied, setting the coat on Evangeline’s shoulders, taking care not to hurt her left one. He began tucking it around her so that it wouldn’t fall off during the walk.

“Is that why you’re doing so, then?” Evangeline asked with a faint smirk, standing still as Gascoigne helped fit the a few sizes too big jacket on her.

“Precisely.”

Shrugging into the jacket, immediately grateful for the warmth it provided, Evangeline gave Gascoigne a faint, but sincere, smile.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Gascoigne took a step back, tilting his head to the side. “Think it will stay put?”

“I certainly hope so,” Evangeline laughed shortly.

Managing a quick smile in response, Gascoigne motioned for Evangeline to follow. She did so, but this time her pace was obviously a more comfortable one. Perhaps it was the warmth from the cold breeze, but Evangeline even seemed to be a little faster now. She was hunched over slightly, using her free, right hand to hold the coat tightly around her.

“You must be relatively new to the Hunt,” Gascoigne commented, trying to break some of the silence between them. At realizing how condescending his words must have seemed, however, he made a short grumble and shook his head. “That...wasn’t meant how it sounded.”

“It’s fine,” Evangeline laughed airily. “I...have been on a few Hunts, but the beasts weren’t as fierce...and numerous.”

“Oh? Where was that? Sounds like an ideal place to stay.”

“It was,” Evangeline replied with a quick scoff. “And then the walls that they had placed so much faith in gave way and the beasts overran the town in practically a single night.”

“Ah, I see.” Gascoigne frowned at the admission. “I didn’t mean to pry into-”

“It’s alright. I...tried fighting back, but I was, admittedly, a bit coddled by how weak the beasts I’d fought were. I…” Evangeline trailed off, not wanting to admit that she’d fled instead of staying and fighting to the bitter end.

“Well, perhaps, once you’re ready and if you want to, when you return to the Hunt, you can accompany Henryk and I,” Gascoigne offered, attempting to steer the conversation away from what was obviously a sensitive subject. “We certainly cannot hold your hand through the night, but we can at least offer experience.”

“No offense, but I don’t think I’d want my hand held during a Hunt,” Evangeline replied with a giggle. “The experience, however, I would be very grateful for.”

At least the Hunter’s mind and heart seemed to be in the right place, Gascoigne thought. Any more, it seemed to be a rarity. He was seeing more joining the ranks out of either a hunger for glory of after having been whipped into a frenzy by those that were left in the church. It had only led to more casualties than anything, and it seemed like he and Henryk were outliving more and more Hunters.

Though he couldn’t quite say why, save for common decency, Gascoigne truly hoped that wasn’t the case with Evangeline.

Another crack of thunder, this time louder, rumbled just as the rain began to come down faster. Flinching slightly at the cold, Evangeline tried to huddle under the jacket. It was warm, no denying that, and she didn’t want to get it any dirtier than it was by dragging it along the streets. But...every time she brought the jacket closer, she caught the undeniable whiff of something...inhuman.

Evangeline knew the scent, and there was no mistaking it. It was the stench of a blood-crazed beast. Not one of the starving ones like those that had attacked her, but the kind that...that had once been Hunters themselves. Still blood-drunk and caught up in the thrill of the Hunt and butchering everything in their path, those Hunters could end up being some of the deadliest creatures. And while that sort of scent on Gascoigne’s coat didn’t come as a surprise, given his chosen profession, the strength of it did. Either the Hunter didn’t feel the need to ever wash his garb, or…

Evangeline cut off that line of thinking sharply. Gascoigne had been nothing but accommodating and kind, even if it was in his rather imposing way. She had no business assuming that just because he was proficient at his job that he was at risk for turning. It was incredibly presumptuous, rude, and, most importantly, a dangerous little snag of doubt to have lingering in her thoughts. Especially if she was going to be learning from him and his partner, Henryk.

“Here we are,” Gascoigne stated, guiding Evangeline around a stone fountain and then towards a nearby house. He knocked on the door three times quickly, then another, louder, knock. Already anticipating the question from Evangeline, he looked back to her. “If Viola is ever unable to get to the door, the children know that that knock means-”

Gascoigne didn’t get to finish. The door swung open and two young girls immediately lunged at him and hugged him tight, the two a chorus of “Daddy!” and “You’re home!”. Evangeline shuffled back reflexively, unable to help but smile when Gascoigne swept up the two girls in an affectionate hug. Though already she was beginning to doubt her decision. What had she been thinking? She had never been good around families. Hells, the most she had ever done was act as a sort of guard to a couple that wanted a long, moonlit walk through the woods when they-

“Hunter! You came with daddy!”

Snapping out of her panicked thoughts, Evangeline looked down at a familiar face. This time, though, instead of tears and terror, there was a bright smile on Annabelle’s face. After a moment, though, the other girl looked over Evangeline, appearing confused.

“Hunter, why did you take daddy’s coat?”

“It was so that she didn’t get rained on, my dear,” Gascoigne gently interjected. “And I’d rather none of us stand out here in the pouring rain. Come on, inside, all of you.”

The girls quickly darted back in the house, giggling the whole way. Chuckling, Gascoigne watched them for a moment before looking back to Evangeline. She appeared flustered and a bit overwhelmed, so Gascoigne cleared his throat to get her attention before setting a hand on her shoulder and guiding Evangeline in.

“They’re excited at a new guest, but they’ll calm down,” he assured quietly. “Both Bethany and Annabelle have been talking about your arrival continuously.”

“I...haven’t ever been around children that much,” Evangeline stammered, glancing at Gascoigne’s hand on her shoulder. “Though, I suppose now is a rather poor time to admit that.”

“Think nothing of it,” Gascoigne chuckled.

The two girls began enthusiastically telling their father about how the night and early morning had gone, and Evangeline couldn’t help but marvel at the change in Father Gascoigne’s personality. The first time she’d met him, he’d almost stopped her heart with a glare...and that was not an easy feat to do with Evangeline. Even outside Iosefka’s clinic, when he’d been...friendly? Attempting to be friendly? Whatever it was, he’d still cut an imposing figure and certainly one that Evangeline would have given a wide berth should they have met on the street.

But now…

Now he was sitting in a chair, one of his daughter’s seated on his lap while the other continued to regale him with all of the frightening sounds they’d heard, but how neither of the girls had been scared. And without missing a beat, Gascoigne would give an enthusiastic reply, praising both girls for their bravery...and for remaining safely indoors. He almost seemed like a completely different person.

“You must be her. The Hunter.”

The new voice, a little raspy, but soft and welcoming, pulled Evangeline back to the present moment and she turned to face the source of the voice. She found herself facing a slender, blonde haired woman, though most of her was hidden under a very warm looking, ankle-length housecoat. Her smile was a tired one, but certainly didn’t lack sincerity, and for a moment, Evangeline didn’t know what to say.

What was it about these people that kept rendering speechless? She’d never had this problem before.

Then again, she had never had to deal with a new stab of guilt the more she learned about these people.

“Yes. I am...a Hunter,” Evangeline finally managed to force out, trying to muster up her polite smile.

The woman suddenly rushed forward and clasped her hands on the sides of Evangeline’s face, her smile practically beaming. Evangeline reflexively went rigid. It had been a long time since she’d felt a kind touch, save for Gascoigne’s hand on her shoulder and now this. Between that and how happy the woman seemed, Evangeline found herself feeling very out of place.

“I can never thank you enough for saving my daughter,” the woman said. “Gascoigne told me of how you saved her and...thank you. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” Evangeline replied, inwardly wincing at how her voice wavered. “I was just doing what...what I should have done.”

“Viola,” Gascoigne stated softly, setting Annabelle down before rising from his seat. “I thought you were supposed to be resting.”

In an instant, a knowing smile replaced Viola’s beaming one and she left Evangeline to go to her husband. She loosely crossed her arms and sighed softly, looking up at Gascoigne.

“If you thought that I was going to let you bring home our guest without me being able to greet her, then you clearly weren’t paying attention last night.”

Appearing a bit flustered, Gascoigne muttered something and looked away. His daughters attempted to stifle their giggles, while Viola leaned slightly so that she was able to look back up at her husband. She raised an eyebrow and made a short, inquiring noise, playfully trying to coax an answer from Gascoigne.

Again, the change of personality still baffled Evangeline, and she stood near the doorway like some sort of living coat rack.

Realizing that Evangeline was still wearing his coat, Gascoigne glanced up at the Hunter. Though his gaze was still concealed by the bandages, Evangeline certainly didn’t miss the pleading tone in the man’s look. He was silently imploring her to help avert Viola’s attention, though in a completely humorous manner. So, after a moment, she shuffled forward, pulling off the coat as carefully as she could with only one hand.

“Thank you for letting me borrow your coat,” she said, trying to avoid knocking anything off the nearby table.

Turning, Viola appeared to stand up a bit straighter and she quickly stepped back over to Evangeline. She made a quiet ‘tsk’ing noise as she helped the Hunter slip free of the large jacket. As Viola looked over Evangeline’s bedraggled clothes and injured arm, she shook her head and carefully folded Gascoigne’s coat over her arm.

“I’m sorry. I do have better manners than this. Let me see if I can find you something to wear so that you’re not stuck in those filthy clothes,” Viola stated. She then turned to Gascoigne and wagged her finger at him. “And you need to get cleaned up and into some warm, dry clothes, as well. I’ll not have you getting sick from walking around in dirty, wet clothes.”

Though Evangeline started to politely insist that it wasn’t necessary for her to have new clothes, before she could even get a word out, Viola had hurried off to another room of the house. Evangeline stared at the doorway Viola had disappeared into, her hand still partially lifted from her failed attempt at protest. She composed herself and blinked quickly.

“Ah… Very well, then.”

Chuckling, Gascoigne motioned for Evangeline to follow him.

“Let me show you the room you’ll be staying in.”

Gingerly rubbing her arm, feeling a little odd at having it in a sling, Evangeline followed Gascoigne down the hallway. Family photos lined the walls, along with what appeared to be a few children’s drawings. It gave off a rather cozy feel, and Evangeline couldn’t help but let her gaze linger across some of the photos. And at the sound of the rain coming down in heavy sheets, along with the howling wind, the Hunter was grateful for the fact that she was indoors and not out on the streets.

“Here we are.”

Pushing open a door to reveal a somewhat small bedroom, Gascoigne motioned for Evangeline to go in. She stepped in, looking around as she absent-mindedly rubbed her left arm. Even if it was scarcely decorated, the room was clean and warm. The bed had been neatly made and even had an extra blanket folded at the foot of it. Turning to look back at Gascoigne, who had been watching her expectantly, Evangeline smiled up at the man.

“Thank you. It’s quite cozy.”

Chuckling, Gascoigne nodded in approval before looking down the hallway. Viola had returned with a set of clean clothes for Evangeline, and when she reached the doorway, she set a hand gently on Gascoigne’s arm. She motioned to the washroom, her voice quiet when she spoke.

“I drew up a bath for you. Go wash up so that you can have some dinner. I’ll help our guest if she needs it.”

Though he would have preferred that Viola return to bed so that she could rest, Gascoigne didn’t argue. His wife had already seemed to have made up her mind about what she was going to do, and Evangeline was undoubtedly going to need a bit of help in getting cleaned up and dressed. So, with a soft smile, he leaned down and gave Viola a quick kiss before heading to the washroom.

“As soon as he’s done, there should be enough warm water so that you can get washed up as well,” Viola explained as she set the clothes down on the bed. “Was there anything else you needed for now?”

“No. Thank you very much,” Evangeline replied. “This is all very generous of you.”

“It’s the least we can do.” Viola started to leave, but paused in the doorway. “Dinner should be ready once you’ve cleaned up and gotten changed. Let me know if you need any help.”

With that, Viola left, shutting the door behind her and leaving Evangeline alone in the room. Looking down at the clothes, tracing the stitching with a fingernail, Evangeline sighed quietly. Her injuries weren’t aching as much as they had been, and she assumed that once she had gotten cleaned up she would feel better. The promise of a hot meal was also an enticing one, as Evangeline couldn’t remember the last time she’d had decent food.

 

* * *

 

After some time and considerable effort, Evangeline had managed to get washed up and changed into the clean clothes. She was even able to do so without assistance, though it had been considerably awkward and she’d gotten stuck more than once. Despite being able to gingerly free her arm from the sling, her shoulder was still sore enough that putting a shirt back on had been a chore. Fortunately, the skirt had been much easier to put on, even if it had been ages since Evangeline had worn one.

Stepping out into the hallway, Evangeline could hear the family talking quietly over dinner. It still felt a little awkward to be staying in someone else’s house, but as soon as she caught a whiff of the food, any hesitation on Evangeline’s part disappeared. She walked to the dining room,, pleasantly surprised to see that there was already a plate of food awaiting her.

“Miss Hunter!” Annabelle exclaimed happily.

“I imagine you’re feeling a bit better,” Viola commented.

“Very,” Evangeline replied, sitting down at the table. She managed to suppress a wince, but it was only when she had gotten halfway through reaching over for a piece of bread that Evangeline realized not being able to use her left arm was going to be more trouble than she realized. She quickly and carefully pulled her hand back, trying to be mindful not to spill crumbs on the table. “I’ll...try not to make too much of a mess.”

“Don’t worry,” Viola assured. “I’d much rather you keep your arm in that sling than not and injure it further.”

Grumbling something quietly under her breath, Evangeline stirred the food on her plate around. At least she was right-handed and could still feed herself and write, if necessary. Had the beast done this sort of damage to her right arm, Evangeline would have felt like a borderline invalid.

“Take it from me, Hunter. You want to give your wounds as much time as they need to heal,” Gascoigne advised, casting a quick glance over to Evangeline. “Rushing out with still healing injuries isn’t going to accomplish anything but getting yourself hurt further...or worse.”

“Noted,” Evangeline murmured. She sighed and leaned back in her seat. “Never been out of commission like this, to be honest.”

“It’ll happen to even the best,” Gascoigne replied, taking a bite of food before continuing. “I say to view it as a learning experience and consider yourself lucky that it wasn’t worse.”

Evangeline had just taken a big bite of food, so, not wanting to forget her manners, she simply made an acknowledging noise and nodded. She’d been trying to avoid appearing as ravenous as she felt, but after a few, polite nibbles of food, hunger had completely taken over. Between her injuries and time of living in abandoned buildings and snatching up whatever scraps she could find, Evangeline was rather proud of herself for retaining her composure for as long as she had.

The rest of the dinner passed without too much incident, and Evangeline managed to keep from making too much of a mess, even if there was a couple of times that her left arm had bumped a bit too hard against the table. For the most part, the conversation was mostly done by Annabelle and Bethany. The two young girls were eager to continue telling their father about how they had helped keep the house quiet and safe. As Evangeline listened, she had to admit that the optimistic perseverance of the two children. She certainly couldn’t claim such hopefulness any more.

Not after everything that had happened.


	3. Raw Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Evangeline's wounds heal, she finds herself drawn more into the family that has given her a safe place to stay, despite her intentions. As she does, memories that Evangeline would rather forget come surfacing back.

Though the daylight occasionally managed to seep through the windows, the rain continued to fall all throughout the day. For the most part, Evangeline was content to stay in the room and try to rest. Eventually, though, despite her best efforts, she found herself tossing and turning, unable to sleep any more. So, after a bit of deliberation, Evangeline quietly stepped out of the room. She didn’t want to risk waking Viola, and wasn’t sure if the rest of the family was sleeping, either.

Once she reached the end of the hallway, Evangeline peeked around the doorway. She was surprised to see Gascoigne seated in front of the fireplace, seemingly staring blankly at the softly burning fire. A cup of tea was on the table in front of him, wisps of steam rising up. It was only when Evangeline stepped a bit closer, inadvertently making the floor creak, that Gascoigne looked up.

“Evangeline? Is everything alright?”

“Ah, yes, sir,” Evangeline replied, rubbing her left arm that was currently free from its sling. “I just couldn’t sleep any more. Was getting a little restless.”

“Understandable,” Gascoigne replied with a faint smile, leaning back in his seat. After a moment, he motioned to the chair across from him. “Have a seat, if you like.”

Murmuring a quick word of thanks, Evangeline sat down in the chair. She looked to the crackling fire, watching the flames silently. After a moment, she glanced over at Gascoigne, who was taking a slow sip of tea from the cup. He was quiet, the shadows flickering across his features, still seemingly lost in his thoughts. For a moment, Evangeline worried that she may have interrupted, but then…

“How are your injuries?”

“Better. Getting them cleaned up, bandaged, and some rest did quite a bit of good.”

Making an approving sound and nod, Gascoigne took another sip of his drink before setting aside the cup. He looked over at Evangeline, who shifted a little nervously in her seat. He couldn’t deny that there was something a little odd about her, but then again, she was a Hunter that had been forced into a dangerous, almost impossible, situation...and lived. Not many could claim that. And, at the very least, she had been a gracious house guest, having gone to get more incense and helped both his daughters place it around the doorway and windows.

“You mind...talking a bit more about what made you a Hunter?” Gascoigne finally asked, almost grunting out the question.

“You mean what circumstances led me to being such a mollycoddled Hunter?” Evangeline asked with a smirk.

“There’ll be no more of that kind of talk,” Gascoigne chided with his own smug grin. “You’re obviously a talented Hunter that knows how to handle a fight.”

“I got smashed up against a gate and left bloody and almost drown.”

“Most Hunters I know wouldn’t have made it past the gate.”

The grim tone in Gascoigne’s voice made Evangeline pause, and she decided it might be better to take a _slightly_ more honest response. She thought over the statement, then sighed and smiled weakly. Rubbing at her left arm absent-mindedly, Evangeline looked back to the softly crackling fire.

“I was mostly a guard for very rich, very snooty nobles,” Evangeline stated.

The admission made Gascoigne pause, and he frowned in momentary confusion, looking over at Evangeline. He had heard of ‘Hunters for Hire’, as the phrase went. In fact, he and Henryk had been propositioned as such, but they’d declined, finding more satisfaction and accomplishment in keeping the general populace safe. But Evangeline had mentioned a small town. Perhaps her living conditions had been different.

“I...somewhat withheld the truth,” Evangeline admitted reluctantly. “The beasts were everywhere. We weren’t stupid. We knew what was happening. ...but the economic disparity between poverty and decadence was...wide. If you were poor, you were either a Hunter or, if you were a woman, you were…”

“Right,” Gascoigne finished, suddenly understanding much more about Evangeline’s situation.

“I just...couldn’t,” Evangeline muttered, curling up in her seat a bit. “So I picked up a blade and I turned out to be halfway decent with it.” Stopping, she laughed bitterly. “I guess I could say it’s mostly thanks to my ability to play a handful of instruments. Dexterity and all.”

“You play music?” Gascoigne asked, obviously perking up.

“Ah, yes,” Evangeline answered, a little curious at the Hunter’s enthusiastic response. “Violin, cello, piano, and flute. ...I tried to make myself versatile.”

“I… Hmn… Good to know,” Gascoigne managed with a nod, taking an obviously distracted swig of what was left of his drink.

“I apologize for-”

“Don’t,” Gascoigne interrupted. He looked over to Evangeline and managed a smile. “You did what you had to. Doesn’t make it any easier or any more right, but you don’t need to apologize to me for not wanting to talk about it.”

Falling silent and rubbing her arm again, Evangeline looked down at the floor, thinking over the words. She had expected Gascoigne to be angry with her for having omitted the information, even if she was still omitting certain details. But instead, she’d been met with a rather easy-going acceptance by dismissal. It was unexpected, but definitely not unwelcome.

“Thank you,” Evangeline whispered sincerely.

Gascoigne paused, then cleared his throat and nodded in response. He glanced over at the almost empty cup of tea, then back to Evangeline. He wasn’t sure if he should continue the conversation, but Evangeline didn’t seem too upset. Perhaps a sullen, but that could have also been because she was more tired than she was ready to admit.

“If you would rather change the subject…,” Gascoigne ventured, watching Evangeline for any sort of reaction.

“Hm?” the Hunter looked up at him, appearing to have been lost in her thoughts. She blinked, and then laughed quietly and shook her head. “No, no. It’s quite alright. I just got a distracted for a moment. In any case, the nobles that I ended up being a bodyguard for were, fortunately, pretty intelligent. They wanted their moonlit strolls, but they weren’t willing to go too far from safety. So, for the most part, any beasts that I had to deal with were relatively weak. That or I had help in dealing with them.”

“As you should. Did they not pair you with another Hunter during these, ahem, ‘moonlit strolls’?”

“No. The nobles said that having another Hunter around spoiled the romantic mood,” Evangeline admitted, rolling her eyes a little at the memory.

“They were willing to risk death for the sake of keeping the mood?” Gascoigne asked incredulously.

“For a while, at least. Eventually, the monsters became so numerous and hungry that even having two, or three, Hunters wouldn’t have been enough. The nobles had to find other means of entertaining themselves, which usually meant large parties. Large, _indoor_ parties that were behind locked doors with Hunters patrolling the area.”

“How big was this town?” Gascoigne inquired, raising an eyebrow. “When you first described it, it sounded like a rather small place.”

“It was more like a suburb outside of a larger city. But they had walls to keep the sections separated.”

“The same walls that...failed?”

“The very ones,” Evangeline affirmed with a nod. “We had no idea how many beasts were actually in the other sections because of the walls. It was only when they began to get through that we realized how horribly outnumbered and underprepared we were.”

“I’m guessing that the nobles weren’t very willing to help, now were they?”

“Actually, they tried to fight back once they realized how desperate the situation was,” Evangeline replied, sounding almost as surprised as Gascoigne appeared. “But they weren’t fighters. The best they could do was provide better protection in their larger and far better built homes. By that point, however, it was too late and we were just trying to survive long enough to escape.”

“Do you know how many did manage to escape?”

“No… We could only go a few at a time. Too many and we attracted more attention than we could handle. The nobles, of course, tried to leave first but…” Evangeline trailed off with a slow wince. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk any further about this. The memories are still a bit...rawer than I thought.”

“Of course, of course,” Gascoigne replied without hesitation. He had already thought that perhaps they were getting a little too far into a subject that Evangeline may not have been completely at peace with. After a few moments of awkward silence, Gascoigne spoke again. “So...music, eh?”

“That’s right. Most of it was self-taught. Made for better chances at getting a bonus or something at the end of those ‘moonlit strolls’. Something about the music making it more romantic. They were always so pleased with how ‘enthusiastically’ I played.” Rolling her eyes, Evangeline slumped back in her seat and smirked. “I was just playing loud enough to drown out all their silly, lovers’ talk. It’s cute to a degree, but beyond that it starts to become nauseating.”

Chuckling, Gascoigne finished the tea in his cup before setting it aside once more. He kept his gaze on the fire that was still crackling in the hearth, but his words were meant for Evangeline.

“I’ll talk to Henryk tonight about you joining us. There’s no rush, so don’t think you have to try and return to the Hunt if you don’t feel ready for it. But it’d be nice to get his thoughts on the matter.”

“How long have you two been partners for?” Evangeline asked, shadows playing across her pale face.

“Heh… Longer than I think either of us should have been.”

“Beg pardon?”

“Seen a lot of Hunters join the ranks.” Gascoigne’s faint smile faded. “And Henryk and I have seen almost all of them buried.”

“Oh…”

Evangeline fell silent, her gaze flicking back to the flames. She was no stranger to death, herself, of course, but it was never an easy topic. There had been plenty of friends, colleagues, and comrades that she had had to see buried. Each time was never any easier, but they certainly seemed heavier with each passing burial. She could only imagine that the same went for Gascoigne and Henryk. Neither of the men seemed to be particularly extroverted, but they certainly weren’t heartless, either. Evangeline couldn’t see either of the Hunters being content, much less happy, about another, less seasoned Hunter being killed.

“Well, we’re a merry lot, aren’t we?” Gascoigne chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

“I can barely contain myself,” Evangeline said in a deadpan tone but with a grin on her lips.

Gascoigne laughed again and shook his head before continuing.

“To answer your question in a less morbid answer, Henryk and I have been partners for quite a while. Guess we make an effective team.”

“Sounds like it.” Evangeline leaned forward in her seat a little, now curious about where Gascoigne had been intending to take the conversation. “So...what will happen?”

“Well, if those in charge allow it, and I can’t think of a reason that they wouldn’t, you would accompany two other Hunters as part of a group led by Henryk and I.” Gascoigne made a short scoff. “Usually, we work alone, but lately the beasts out there have been getting vicious enough that it’s too dangerous to pair up new Hunters and then send them along their merry way. The Church is trying to cut down on losses by giving the recruits some semblance of training from more veteran Hunters.”

“Ah, I see. And so I would just...follow along and do what you and Henryk do? Or…?”

“Were you planning on changing to an Axe, then? Or were you going to stay with the Saw Cleaver?”

“Uh, I’d prefer a sw-” Evangeline stopped herself, and stumbled over her words for a moment before answering. “Saw Cleaver. That would be fine.”

“‘Fine’ is good when it comes to thread and clothes,” Gascoigne commented, turning his gaze back to Evangeline. He glanced over her quickly, trying to picture her wielding a sword. She hadn’t been bad with a Saw Cleaver, but, then again, there hadn’t been much time to see her use one, either. “But I know what you were about to say. You fancy a sword, eh?”

“It’s...what I used the most,” Evangeline admitted, feeling her insides tense. She hadn’t meant to make the verbal slip, but if she was to be fighting beasts… Evangeline could already feel her hand itching to feel the tightly bound leather of the sword handle against her palm. Or, if she was going to dream of far better, more decadent, days, then she would have a blade in each hand, ready to make the blades sing as she cut through her enemies.

“Evangeline?”

Blinking quickly and shaking her head, Evangeline looked up at Gascoigne, realizing that she had drifted back into her memories. She put on a polite, somewhat sheepish, smile, and quickly combed back a few stray locks of her bronze-blonde hair from her face. For a moment, Evangeline found herself unexpectedly speechless when she lifted her gaze to Gascoigne’s. Something about the way he’d said her name and…

No, no, no.

That was a most inappropriate and profoundly wrong line of thinking, and Evangeline immediately shut it down.

“Sorry,” she said quickly, feeling a tinge of fluster rise to her cheeks. “Got lost in old memories again. Guess there’s more than I’d care to recount.”

“Can’t say I’m much different.” Gascoigne cleared his throat and then returned to the previous subject. “I’m not sure if you could get your hands on a sword, being a new recruit into the ranks. I can ask around, but-”

“Oh, no, no,” Evangeline interrupted with a wave of her hand. “I’m quite comfortable with using the Saw Cleaver. If I am to get a sword, I’d prefer that I earn it, rather than just have it given to me.”

“Huh… If you say so, then.” While Gascoigne thought it a bit odd for a Hunter to refuse the possibility of getting the weapon they were most comfortable with, he wasn’t going to argue the matter. If anything, it would make it easier to get Evangeline equipped for a Hunt if she was willing to use weapons and gear that were usually given to new recruits. However, Gascoigne wasn’t going to deny that there was a small sliver of concern that Evangeline was hindering herself simply for the sake of appearances and being agreeable. “As for a firearm, you’ll probably have your pick of the most common three. I trust you know how they work along with utilizing Quicksilver bullets?”

“Of course,” Evangeline said with a quick nod.

“One thing I can tell you even before we go out on the Hunt, don’t overuse the Quicksilver bullets and fatigue yourself from blood loss. Henryk will lecture your ears off.”

“Hunters have done that?” Evangeline asked, raising an eyebrow incredulously.

“More than you might think. I suppose it’s somewhat easy to do if one is in a panic and there’s a monster bearing down on them with the intent of ripping them apart.”

“I suppose it is…”

“Sounds like you’ve not had that problem, then?”

“Not in any of my previous Hunts,” Evangeline replied, this time careful with her answer. “Besides, I don’t tend to use a firearm very much. I’m sure it’s a fine weapon, but against a bloodthirsty beast… Well, I think it just makes them madder.”

Smirking faintly, Gascoigne felt whatever initial unease he may have had fade. Even if she was going to be using her second-choice weapon, Evangeline certainly appeared to have her wits about her. Keeping a level head and fighting intelligently was far deadlier than any blade or bullet. So, with sigh, Gascoigne relaxed back into his seat, giving another, quick glance to Evangeline. She was still leaned close to the fire, and the shadows had a peculiar way of playing on her features while the firelight reflected oddly in her eyes.

Then again, Evangeline was a foreigner. There was no telling how the Blood had affected her.

 

* * *

 

As the days passed, Evangeline’s wounds healed, and though some were going to leave everlasting scars, the Hunter hardly minded. It would simply be another one to add to the patchwork that ran across her body. Not to mention, there couldn’t be a single Hunter out there that didn’t have at least a few scars from a battle that was only narrowly won. And, fortunately, it didn’t seem that there was any permanent damage to her shoulder. It appeared that Iosefka had done a fine job of tending to Evangeline injuries.

For Evangeline, however, her wounds couldn’t heal fast enough. The company of Viola, Bethany, and Annabelle was pleasant enough and all, but a Hunter needed to hunt. And Evangeline found herself growing more and more restless as the nights passed. Sometimes, sitting by the window and listening to the sounds of the Hunt would help her relive memories of previous Hunts, and Evangeline could daydream about the scent of the sweet blood that sent thunder through her veins and shot lightning into her heart. Other times, however, the sounds only served to further her growing sense of cabin fever, and Evangeline would have to resort to trying to sleep through the night, which was a chore in and of itself.

It was one of those nights where Evangeline couldn’t sleep, no matter how hard she tried, and she instead opted to try and sit by the window once again. It was almost dawn, anyways, and the Hunt would be over soon. So even if she had to endure the sounds of the Hunt that tempted her so, Evangeline wouldn’t have to listen for very long.

Turning around the corner of the doorway, Evangeline stopped when she saw Viola sitting at the window. A small music box was in front of her, playing a soft, comforting tune. The music box itself didn’t seem to appear very expensive or of any real remark to Evangeline, but judging by the loving look Viola was giving it, the music box obviously held great importance to the blonde woman. Occasionally, she would reach out and trace along the lid of the box, but was always careful not to interrupt the tune.

Slowly backing up, trying to remain quiet so as to not interrupt Viola, Evangeline almost made it until the floor creaked and gave her away. Viola looked up, seeming a little startled. At the sight of Evangeline, however, she quickly relaxed and a tired smile spread across her face. She leaned back into her chair and returned her gaze to the window.

“You’re not the only one that has sleepless nights, I’m afraid,” she said, her voice as tired as her smile. “I know he’s an adept Hunter, and he’s always returned home. Just, some nights, I…”

Appearing to pull herself away from the depressing thoughts, Viola sat up a little straighter and motioned to one of the chairs that was at the kitchen table.

“Please, have a seat. I certainly wouldn’t mind a little bit of company if you wouldn’t.”

Though it felt a little odd, Evangeline nodded and fetched one of the chairs at the kitchen table. She put it across from where Viola was seated, making sure to keep a polite distance between them, but still being able to look out the window. Sitting down, Evangeline looked at the music box, whose tune was slowly fading away as the gears in it unwound.

“That’s a very pretty tune,” Evangeline commented.

“Oh, thank you.” Viola’s smile brightened and she picked up the music box to wind it back up. “Gascoigne gave it to me as a gift. We both thought the tune was very pretty, as well, so Gascoigne offered to get it for me. At first, I protested, but he was insistent and I couldn’t help myself. I’ve kept it close ever since.” Though her smile didn’t fade, the dark look that was cast on Viola’s features caught Evangeline by surprise. “Sometimes…”

Noticing how quickly Viola trailed off, Evangeline hesitated on whether or not she should press the subject. It was obviously an unpleasant one, given how quickly Viola’s spirit had been dampened. And though Evangeline’s curiosity had been piqued, she certainly didn’t want to be nosy or rude. Her response, however, wasn’t much better, as it had Evangeline sitting there in nervous silence, forcing her gaze to flick between the music box and the window.

“...sometimes he forgets us. Forgets himself.”

Looking back to Viola, Evangeline felt her insides twist in apprehension. As much as she wanted to deny it, there was only one possible ‘he’ that Viola could be referring to. Almost immediately, despite her reluctance, Evangeline found herself remembering the overpowering stench of Beast on Gascoigne’s coat. It had made her bristle instinctively and try as she might, Evangeline hadn’t ever been able to completely rid herself of concern. And, unfortunately, Viola’s words only seemed to confirm Evangeline’s worries.

“It’s not too bad, and it doesn’t happen very often,” Viola continued, though it seemed to be more for her sake than anyone else’s. “Just...sometimes he needs the occasional reminder. So I’ll go out with the music box and find him if it seems like he’s gone for too long.”

“You go out by yourself?!” Evangeline cried. She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, wincing at how loud her words had been. She made a short noise and then spoke again, but this time her voice was much quieter. “Sorry. But you go out by yourself?”

“Well, I certainly can’t take either of my daughters.”

“I meant there aren’t any Hunters that could accompany you or even go in your place?”

“I can’t ask that,” Viola said somberly, her gaze not moving from the music box. “Word would spread about…”

“Oh, right,” Evangeline sighed quietly.

“Besides, like I said, it’s not that often and not that bad,” Viola quickly continued. “I’m perfectly safe when I go out and I’d much rather it be me that helps him when needed.”

Nodding, though still not completely convinced, Evangeline looked up at the window. The Hunt should be ending soon and she silently hoped that Gascoigne returned on his own. Though Viola sounded like she knew what she was doing, it still couldn’t be safe...even after she found Gascoigne.

A heavy knock at the door made both women look up, and Viola immediately rose and went to the door. She opened it a small bit before obviously recognizing who was at the door and letting them in. Gascoigne, his clothes spattered with the blood of the numerous beasts he had undoubtedly killed, stepped in as he gave a quick kiss to Viola’s forehead. It was then that Evangeline noticed that he was carrying a large rucksack and a Saw Cleaver, along with his own weapons.

“These would be yours,” Gascoigne said to Evangeline, noticing her inquiring look. “Let me know if anything doesn’t fit or needs to be changed.”

Taking the rucksack and Saw Cleaver with a word of thanks, Evangeline quickly returned to her room to try on the gear. She could hear Gascoigne and Viola talking, and knew that the two girls would be waking up soon, too. Evangeline thought it best to give the family some time together while she made sure that the clothing she had been given fit. The Saw Cleaver already felt familiar in her hand, and Evangeline silently hoped that the rest of the gear fit as well, too.

It was only once she was back in the room and had the pieces of clothing laid out on the bed that Evangeline truly realized that she would be returning to the Hunt. But now she would be back in the company of other Hunters, at least two of which were seasoned veterans. While it afforded her a little bit of extra safety during the Hunts, it also meant that Evangeline would have to be far more careful about her attacks. It had been...quite some time since she’d fought alongside fellow Hunters.


	4. Return to the Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wounds now healed and given new weapons and gear, the Hunter returns to the Hunt under the guidance of Henryk and Gascoigne.

Despite the last few rays of sunlight that were slowly being consumed by the darkening clouds, the air already had a bit of an icy bite to it and the scent of possible rain wafted through. Had it not been for the coat and gear she was wearing, Evangeline would have been aware of the settling cold. Instead, however, she focused on the sounds of her footfalls echoing along with Gascoigne’s as she followed him down the street. Her heart hammered in her chest, and Evangeline had to remind herself not to get overly excited. This was still a Hunt, after all. Terrible things could happen in the blink of an eye.

As they crossed a short bridge, Evangeline glanced down to the filthy waters below. Despite the distance between her and the sewage, she could still smell the filth, and the Hunter reflexively scrunched up her nose in disgust. She didn’t slow her pace, however, and continued to trail behind Gascoigne dutifully. Even though she was excited to return to the Hunt, Evangeline was determined to make a good, second impression on the two Hunters that had saved her life.

“I was wondering when you would show up.”

Perking up at the sound of Henryk’s voice, Evangeline stopped just behind Gascoigne. She had to peer around the taller man to see the other Hunter, who was leaning against a long abandoned store’s doorway. Before she or Gascoigne could say anything, Henryk lifted his gaze and noticed Evangeline. Despite the fact that most of his face was covered, there was no missing the faint smirk on the old Hunter’s face.

“And you brought our little friend along with you, I see.”

“That I did,” Gascoigne said, stepping aside to reveal Evangeline, armed and in full Hunter gear. “Eva said she couldn’t wait any longer to rejoin the Hunter.”

Raising an eyebrow and making a small smile at the nickname Gascoigne had just bestowed on her, Evangeline looked to Henryk. Whatever humor had been in his eyes was gone, replaced with a gaze of concern that the Hunter was all too familiar with. She knew that most Hunters worth their salt were wary of those that threw themselves too eagerly into the nightly Hunt.

“Is that so?” Henryk inquired, pushing himself from the doorway and walking over to Evangeline. He looked over her quickly, studying the gear that she was wearing and the weapons that she was carrying. “I trust everything fits right and handles properly?”

“It does,” Evangeline stated with a nod. “I double-checked, even.”

“Well, that’s better than some recruits,” Henryk commented. He glanced up at Gascoigne, who just gave a silent, but affirming nod. “Let’s go. The other two Hunters should already be at the Church.”

Feeling herself internally bristle at the mention of going back to the church, Evangeline stamped down the unease and followed the two older Hunters as they resumed their trek. By now, night had almost completely fallen, and the Hunt would be starting soon. Gascoigne had assured Evangeline that he and Henryk would be relatively close, should anything go wrong during the patrols that Evangeline would be on. Her concern, however, wasn’t with the Beasts, but the other Hunters.

Again, Evangeline stopped herself from falling too far into the grim thoughts. She was being rather presumptuous to automatically assume that her fellow Hunters would be inept. Besides, it wasn’t like she had very much room to assume, now did she? The last time she had faced off against Beasts, Evangeline had not only had to flee, but been a rather poor defender in the process.

“Do...either of you know these Hunters that I’ll be fighting alongside with?” she asked, curious to see if Gascoigne or Henryk had an opinion. Gascoigne hadn’t said much, but then again, Evangeline hadn’t really asked.

“There’s two of them. Neither of them are very seasoned fighters, but they both have potential.”

“So long as Isaac keeps the bravado to a minimum,” Gascoigne interjected.

“Right. There is that detail,” Henryk agreed.

“Isaac?” Evangeline repeated, hurrying forward a pace so that she could hear the other two Hunters better. “He’s...a show off?”

“That’s one way to put it,” Henryk replied with a sigh. He glanced up at Gascoigne. “You didn’t give her at least a little bit of a warning?”

“I meant to, but I couldn’t think of any words that were nice enough,” Gascoigne grumbled.

“Now I’m a little worried,” Evangeline laughed, though there was little humor in the reaction.

“Stop scaring her,” Henryk teasingly said to Gascoigne. He then spoke over his shoulder, his words meant for Evangeline. “It’s nothing to be too concerned about. Isaac is just one of those Hunters that’s gotten whipped up into a frenzy by the Healing Church. He certainly means well, but he can come across as a bit of a...hm…”

“A zealot,” Gascoigne finished. Even though one couldn’t see it, judging by the grey-haired Hunter’s tone, he was rolling his eyes, whether figuratively or literally, at the word.

Evangeline’s insides twisted and she felt her blood go to ice water. Something about the way that Gascoigne said ‘zealot’ sent chills through her, and the Hunter grimaced before shrugging further into her jacket. Now she could feel the cold touch of the air around her, and Evangeline bit down on her tongue to keep herself quiet. Evangeline had dealt with Hunters that were in a hunting ‘craze’ thanks to the fervent words from the Healing Church, and none of them had been pleasant dealings.

“I see…,” Evangeline finally whispered.

“As I said, don’t think too much on it,” Henryk quickly continued. “He’s a talented enough Hunter and has gone through a few Hunts without much remark. So long as you don’t mind a bit of preaching here and there.”

Though Gascoigne grumbled something in response, Evangeline didn’t hear him.

“Here we are,” Henryk stated as they came upon a familiar looking gate.

“Huh, we meet again,” Evangeline muttered, crossing her arms.

“I hate to dash your dreams, but this is a different gate,” Gascoigne chuckled, turning to face Evangeline. “The gate that you’re thinking of is still bent and being repaired.”

“Hmph,” Evangeline scoffed, though a knowing smirk played on her lips.

Henryk and Gascoigne then led Evangeline through a large courtyard, a long dry fountain standing in the middle. By this point, the moon was starting to rise into the sky, and a few silver rays of light flitted through the cool air. Evangeline cast a somewhat longing look to the silvery white orb, but quickly averted her attention when she heard a pair of foreign voices. One was relatively level and quiet, but the other held a boisterous tone that Evangeline had heard in other voices. It instinctively made her cringe and take a small, shuffling step away.

“Easy,” Gascoigne murmured, noticing Evangeline’s reaction.

No sooner had the Hunter said that when two other Hunters, both obviously younger than Gascoigne and Henryk, turned the corner. They were wearing gear similar to Evangeline’s, though there were a few personalizations here and there. The first one, the one with the quieter voice, had small tufts of brown hair poking out from underneath his hat. Dark grey eyes studied Evangeline, a curious look obvious in them as he looked over the new Hunter. The second Hunter, the louder one and the one that Evangeline assumed was Isaac, had been busy enough talking to his compatriot that he appeared to have almost missed Evangeline’s presence. In fact, he only looked over at her when he realized that his companion was staring at her.

“Ah, you must be the new recruit that they were talking about. Welcome to the Hunt,” the second Hunter said, giving a slight, but polite nod. The gesture revealed a few locks of dark blond hair, and when he looked directly at Evangeline, she caught sight of his light brown eyes. “My name is Isaac. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Evangeline,” the Hunter said curtly, finding a small sense of satisfaction in being correct about her initial assumption.

“And this is my compatriot, Albert,” Isaac said, motioning to the other Hunter, who hadn’t taken their eyes off Evangeline.

“Albert,” Evangeline repeated, nodding in the Hunter’s direction.

“Well, now that we are through with introductions, let me explain what we will be doing for this Hunt,” Henryk stated.

Noticing that Albert hadn’t taken his gaze away from Evangeline, Gascoigne made a short noise, almost like a growl, and stepped so that he was between the two. It was enough, and Albert snapped out of his seeming daze. He glanced up at Gascoigne, who was regarding the younger Hunter with a questioning look, but just as quickly composed himself and turned his attention to Henryk.

“Thank you,” Evangeline whispered to Gascoigne, even though her attention was mostly on Henryk.

“Isaac, Albert, and Evangeline, you will be patrolling along the west side of the church,” Henryk continued. “There’s bound to be beasts trying to get in, but we’ve noticed they tend to be smaller, faster, and traveling in groups. Thus, the three of you ought to be able to make quick work of them. Just make sure you don’t wade in too far and get overwhelmed. Understood?”

There was a chorus of ‘yes, sir’ and all three Hunters nodded, but Evangeline couldn’t help but cast a side eye glance to Isaac. He seemed particularly eager to get started, as he kept shifting his weight from foot to foot. Albert, to their credit, was staying a little more still, and seemed to be more focused on Henryk’s directions than anything else. And then, behind her, even though she couldn’t see him, Evangeline was aware of Gascoigne’s presence as the grey-haired Hunter watched over her shoulder.

“Now then, Isaac, Albert,” Henryk stated, pointing at both Hunters respectively, “you two know the patrol route. Teach it to our newest recruit here, Evangeline. You’ll undoubtedly have to go up and down it a few times, even with the things skulking around it. And answer any questions she may have about it.”

“Of course, sir,” Isaac replied smartly.

“Well, that should be it,” Henryk said with a short sigh as he looked up at the moon, which was now high in the sky. He then glanced towards Evangeline and made a short, humorous scoff. “Gascoigne? You done lurking behind our new recruit and ready to go?”

“Just had to make sure you gave correct directions, _Old Hunter_. Have to make sure you’re not slipping in your age.”

There was a bit of light chuckling, even though Evangeline remained quiet. She watched as Henryk and Gascoigne departed towards their own patrol, then looked over at Isaac and Albert. They were both regarding her with almost expectant looks, and after a moment, Isaac motioned for her to follow them. Nodding, Evangeline wordlessly followed them, giving the handle of of her Saw Cleaver a testing squeeze. At the very least, Isaac and Albert seemed competent, even if their personalities seemed to be opposites.

 

* * *

 

The lantern light did very little against the fog that seemed to rise up from the very bricks of the street. In fact, whether it was the dim light or the fact that the fog was, indeed, that thick, the lantern light only seemed to emphasize the fog. Regardless, the three Hunters patrolling the streets paid it little heed. Though they didn’t speak amongst themselves too much, when they did, the Hunters spoke in hushed whispers. They didn’t want to risk losing the element of surprise.

As she glanced around, Evangeline could hear beasts skittering around, along with even the occasional roar of a much larger beast in the distance. And, sometimes, those roars would be followed up by human shouts and the sounds of gunfire. Just as quickly as the sounds of combat rose, they would fade away. What was unsettling about the sounds was that, judging by the sounds, the victor wasn’t always the Hunter.

“You’ve hunted before?”

Turning to look at Albert, Evangeline nodded. She wasn’t sure how much Gascoigne or Henryk had told the two, but it was understandable that they would have at least given the two a brief rundown of her skills. Hopefully the two had skipped the detail that Evangeline had a penchant for being slammed up against gates and was a terrible swimmer.

“Fought any large beasts?” Isaac asked, his tone a little too excited.

“Just one,” Evangeline lied. “But I had assistance from other Hunters so I didn’t fight the thing alone.”

“But it looks like you won, right? That counts for practically everything, don’t you think?”

“Mmn, that it does. Then again, the alternative wasn’t particularly ideal. I-”

The sound of claws scrabbling against cold rock made the three Hunters go quiet and slow their steps. Isaac immediately took the lead, with Evangeline following behind him. Albert brought up the rear in case they were walking into an ambush. Occasionally, one of the Hunters would glance up at the rooftops just in case there was a beast acting as a lookout or worse, waiting to pounce. Fortunately, there was nothing, and soon enough, the Hunters’ quarry came into sight.

It was a group of four scraggly, four-legged creatures. Patchy, matted fur dotted their sinewy bodies, and their spindly legs were almost as long as the rest of the beast’s body. Their eyes glowed dimly in the lantern light, with drool and rotting flesh dangling from their open mouths. Puffs of steam rose from their panted breaths, and as they drew closer, there was the unmistakable stench and sight of blood flecked on their wretched bodies.

“These should be easy,” Isaac muttered. “Just make sure none of them flank us. They’re not particularly strong, but they’re agile and will try to get at your side rather than face you head on.”

“Understood,” Evangeline stated, keeping her voice low.

“Albert, make sure that none of them come up from behind us,” Isaac ordered.

“Of course.”

As he had been quietly giving instructions, the three Hunters had been readying their melee weapons. There was no need to make unnecessary noise and draw attention with gunfire. Especially since the beasts had spread out as much as they could across the wide street while slinking forward. Their hunger appeared to be overriding any sense of survival the creatures may have had, and, occasionally, one would make a starved growl while licking its torn lips.

Staying in step with Isaac, Evangeline spared a brief glance over her shoulder to Albert. The Hunter was keeping a watch on the beasts approaching from ahead, but was, to his credit, more focused on ensuring that they didn’t get ambushed. So, putting her attention back to the beasts, Evangeline picked out the two that she was going to focus on. They were the closest to her, and, logically, should go after her.

“I’ll take the two on the left,” Evangeline murmured, shrugging to push the cowl of her jacket further up along her face to try and block out the crippling stench.

“Are you sure you can handle two at the same time?” Isaac asked.

Evangeline had no chance to answer. One of the two beasts, the one furthest to the left, suddenly lunged at her in a flurry of claws, spittle, and fangs. The next one closest to it quickly followed, eager to get in on the possibility of a kill. The next two attempted to follow suit, but, fortunately, Isaac intervened and stopped them before they got any closer.

Now able to focus on her quarry, Evangeline greeted the two, slobbering beasts with the blade of her Saw Cleaver. The serrated edges ripped through the leathery skin of the first, and, with another arc of the blade, bit down onto the back of the second. Rancid blood sprayed into the air and onto Evangeline’s armor. Before it could even dribble down onto the street, Evangeline had swung the Saw Cleaver again, this time hacking into flesh and making the beasts shriek in pain. The second darted to her right and swung a bloodied paw, claws extended and reaching.

Making a quick sidestep, Evangeline avoided the claws, though the side of her coat was marred with three, new scratches. Immediately bringing the blade of her Saw Cleaver down, and then again, she hacked the beast’s offending paw until it was dangling by little more than a few pieces of muscle. It was enough to send the creature wailing and staggering back, and gave Evangeline enough time to focus back on the first monster. The thing had already started back towards Evangeline, fangs bared and jaws open.

As she swung the Cleaver blade upwards, Evangeline heard Albert shouting something to Isaac, who was dealing with the last of the two creatures he had picked out. The sound of her blade chopping into the first beast’s jaw drown out the words. However, she could hear the sound of something...else approaching. Something big.

“Hurry!” Albert cried, backing up towards Evangeline and Isaac. “It’s a-”

The dying squeals of the beast she had just hacked to pieces was drown out by a low, threatening growl, and Evangeline slowly turned around to face the new threat. At the sight of it, she felt her blood cold cold and insides twist. Though the best was immediately recognizable, that wasn’t any comfort. A bloodied muzzle, hunched posture, and thick, tangled, black fur, along with piercing, hungry eyes that held the smallest glimmer of the last shreds of humanity.

“Werewolf,” Isaac finished with a hoarse breath. “I’ve never seen one that big.”

Tightening her grip on her Saw Cleaver handle, Evangeline steeled herself over. True to Isaac’s words, she hadn’t ever seen a werewolf that size, either. But that wasn’t the worst part. That would be the fact that…

Another, just as threatening growl rumbled from the darkened alley that was to the right of the three Hunters. Instinctively, Isaac quickly pivoted, but, when the first werewolf started, immediately stilled himself. A pair of gleaming, cruel eyes watched the three Hunters from the shadows, and as they drew closer, the rest of the werewolf came into view.

“Damn… They’re both...monstrous,” Albert hissed, moving closer to his compatriots.

“Do not make any sudden movements,” Isaac ordered, his voice steely. “We can’t let them corner us.”

Though she said nothing, Evangeline quickly looked over her shoulder to the street behind them. Fortunately, for the moment, there was nothing but the corpses of their previous prey. At the very least, the werewolves hadn’t backed them into an inescapable corner.

Satisfied that they at least had some maneuverability, Evangeline looked back to the werewolves, narrowing her eyes. So long as her two compatriots didn’t try to flee or do anything foolish that would provoke the beasts, the Hunter felt that they would make it out of the encounter alive. However, while Isaac seemed calm enough, given the circumstances, Albert was unnervingly close. He kept taking small, shuffling steps back the closer the first werewolf got.

“Albert,” Evangeline hissed. “Don’t move back any further. I could accidentally strike you.”

Though he stopped stepping closer, Albert remained uncomfortably close. Evangeline resisted the urge to elbow the other Hunter, frustrated at his sudden lack of courage. The werewolves were huge and intimidating, yes, but that was no reason to lose one’s nerve and put others at risk. That was simply begging to end up being eaten.

“Albert!” Isaac snapped hoarsely.

Though he startled, Albert was, fortunately, able to stifle the reaction. He gave the other two Hunters an irritated, but panicked, side-eye glance. That was more than enough to unravel the last bits of Evangeline’s patience, and she stepped forward, stopping herself from roughly shouldering Albert. As tempting as it may have been, they were in a situation where petty, rude gestures would only make things worse. Instead, she focused her ire on the werewolf, which had gotten as close as it dared for the moment.

“Can you keep the other one preoccupied?” Evangeline asked Isaac, her gaze never moving from the beast.

“Yes. I can.”

Knowing that she didn’t have time to answer, Evangeline darted forward and swung her Saw Cleaver in a wide arc. Anticipating the attack, however, the werewolf jerked back, and the blade whistled through the air harmlessly. Cursing under her breath, Evangeline took another, long step forward, intent to get the werewolf away from its companion. Behind her, she could hear Isaac barking orders to Albert to try and snap the man out of their daze as he began to attack the other werewolf. Evangeline could only hope that Isaac stayed true to his word and could handle the werewolf.

Snapping at her with fang-lined jaws, the werewolf just as quickly moved to Evangeline’s right. It leaned and swiped at her, claws cutting through some of her armor and scratching her skin. Rolling to get away from the dangerously sharp claws, Evangeline took advantage of the sudden closeness of the creature and swung her Saw Cleaver again. This time, the blade made contact, cutting deep into the the werewolf’s left flank. The beast howled and jerked away, moving back and clutching at its profusely bleeding wound.

“Isaac?!” Evangeline called, only able to hear the snarls, growls, and howls of the werewolves.

“We’re fine!”

Satisfied, for the moment, that her compatriots were handling the other werewolf, Evangeline refocused on her own target. The beast lunged again, this time swiping with its free paw, trying to rake its claws down the Hunter’s face. Fortunately, anger made the move exaggerated and Evangeline darted to the side and, extending the Saw Cleaver blade, took another, stronger but wider swing. Though the werewolf tried to pull back, it only succeeded in shuffling back part of the way. The Cleaver’s blade sank down deep into its back, hacking off a large chunk of fur, skin, and flesh straight down to the bone.

Its howl twisted into a pained squeal, and the werewolf snapped blindly in pained fury at Evangeline. The Hunter back-pedaled out of the way promptly, careful not to get too close to her fellow Hunters. The werewolf was in a pained craze now, and it no longer had its focus solely on Evangeline. It would be all too easy for it to sprint right past Evangeline and head towards Isaac and Albert.

Retracting the Cleaver’s blade to give her better speed, the Hunter took another, long step forward and swung the Saw Cleaver three times in rapid succession. While the first strike didn’t make contact, it had the benefit of grabbing the werewolf’s attention and making it snap at Evangeline. Just as its jaws clamped down on nothing, the blade of the Cleaver collided with the side of its head, slicing off an ear and effectively scalping the beast. The third and final strike embedded the Saw Cleaver’s serrated blade into the monster’s throat, drawing up a thick spray of blood and a gargled cry. This time, unlike the previous ones, it was more panicked than angry.

Raising the Saw Cleaver so as to behead the werewolf, Evangeline braced herself, but before she could bring the blade down, a massive weight, followed by sharp stabs of pain into her right hip, slammed into her. The impact knocked her down and Evangeline reflexively tried to use the momentum to throw herself as far away from the unseen force and the dying werewolf. She heard Isaac shout something, but Evangeline was far more focused on retaining her grip on her Saw Cleaver and getting back to her feet.

Back on her feet and wheeling around, Evangeline was greeted by an open maw of sharp teeth heading straight for her face. Darting back, grimacing at the stench from the second werewolf’s breath, Evangeline wildly swung her Saw Cleaver. The blade managed to bat the werewolf away from her, but did very little damage. Fortunately, however, Isaac had already been working to catch up with his errant quarry, and the brief pause gave him just enough time to hack off one of the werewolf’s hind feet. The beast snarled and collapsed, hobbling around wildly as it tried to fend off two attackers now that its companion had collapsed from trauma and blood loss.

Hissing a curse under her short breath, Evangeline swung her Saw Cleaver again, slicing open the werewolf’s throat. There was another spray of blood, adding to the already thick coat of crimson that was all over her armor, and the werewolf gave a strangled whine before falling to its side. Apparently not wanting to take any chances, Isaac stormed over and began hacking at the creature’s neck until he had effectively decapitated it.

Working to catch her breath, Evangeline looked over at Albert. Judging by the blood splatter on his armor and weapon, it appeared that they had finally snapped out of their stupor and joined the fray. She then turned her attention to Isaac, who seemed to be relaxing down from his fervor. He took a few, deep breaths before shrugging slowly, then looked over at Evangeline. He glanced over her, and then smirked faintly.

“You fight...impressively well for a new recruit,” he commented breathlessly. “Seems like I misjudged you”

“Understandable,” Evangeline replied with a short, flat laugh. “To be honest, I would be more concerned if you had overestimated me.”

“No, that would be what I did with Albert,” Isaac retorted, his tone suddenly going cold as he turned a glare to the other man. “What was wrong with you? Did you lose your mind?”

“I’ve never seen them that size,” Albert answered, his voice quaking. He frowned indignantly at Isaac. “Have you?”

“It doesn’t matter. They would have killed us all the same if we had all done as you did.”

Staying silent, Evangeline stretched cautiously, trying to see if any of her wounds were worse than just a few scratches and bruises. Not feeling anything overly concerning, the Hunter relaxed and looked back to Isaac and Albert. Despite her initial assumptions, it seemed that Isaac was a proper choice to be the acting leader for a small patrol. She was surprised to feel a twinge of disappointment with Isaac, but perhaps Albert had less nerve than Evangeline had initially given him credit for.

“Have you ever seen a werewolf get that big?” Albert asked Evangeline, as though seeking some sort of confirmation for his actions.

“What does it matter if I did?” Evangeline replied curtly. “Their larger size certainly didn’t make them more docile.”

Falling silent, Albert sighed and shook his head, muttering something under his breath. He shuffled around a bit, but Evangeline had already looked over to Isaac. He was adjusting his gear and wiping off a bit of the excess blood, but appeared to be relatively uninjured. Silently grateful for that fact, Evangeline looked over her own, blood slick armor before tugging her cowl back up over the lower half of her face.

The night was still new and the Hunt had just begun.


	5. Stronger Prey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunt continues and Evangeline begins to doubt the resolve of one of her newfound compatriots.

The night of the Hunt seemed longer than usual.

Cold air, laced with fog, hung in the air like an icy curtain, obscuring what lay down the cobbled streets and leaving a definite chill in the air. It made Evangeline all the more grateful for the coat that she was wearing as she, Isaac, and Albert continued their patrol. Even so, despite the cold and their current objective, Evangeline found her thoughts drifting back to the stench of Beast that had tainted Gascoigne’s coat. And, after speaking with Viola, there was no doubt of what that indicated.

So, that begged the question…

How long?

What if it happened tonight? Could Henryk handle it himself? How bad would the fight be?

Frowning and shrugging a little farther into her coat, Evangeline angrily dismissed the thoughts. It was pointless to dwell on them, not to mention rude. She was sure that Henryk could take care of things if it became necessary. But, hopefully, it didn’t come down to that. Evangeline remembered how powerful and frightening the monster could be if they were a newly turned Hunter. It was a fight she would just as soon avoid, if at all possible.

“Sh!” Isaac suddenly ordered, coming to a stop.

The trio immediately came to a stop, and Evangeline tilted her head to hear a little better. Once again, she could hear the familiar sound of claws scraping across stone. Fortunately, unlike the last encounter with the werewolves, the sounds were lighter, indicating beasts that weren’t as big...or strong. And, as the creatures neared, it was apparent that they were some of the same, scraggly miscreants that they had fought earlier.

“Numerous little bastards, aren’t they?” Isaac grumbled with a grin, readying both weapons.

“We would be out of a job if they weren’t,” Evangeline replied with a short laugh.

Albert was silent, instead just staring directly ahead at the little beasts as they frothed at the mouth and slowly drew closer. Neither Isaac nor Evangeline paid him much heed, however, assuming that he was still trying to compose himself after the previous fight.

In spite of that, the trio was able to make short work of the small beasts. They were starving and weak, so their attacks were reckless and easy to anticipate. As they fought, however, Evangeline noticed that Albert was hesitating with almost every strike or pull of the trigger. Whenever the moment would allow, she would try to see if the Hunter was wounded in any way, but saw no injuries. There weren’t even considerable amounts of blood on Albert’s armor. With that, Evangeline could only assume that the injuries were either internal or mental.

Once the final beast had been dispatched, Evangeline reached out and lightly grasped Albert’s shoulder. The young man startled and jerked away from her hand, looking at her with wide eyes. When he noticed Evangeline’s confused expression, though, he calmed a little. Even Isaac was giving him a puzzled look in regards to his behavior.

“Are you alright?” Evangeline asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Yes. Just...fine.”

“Have you never fought werewolves before?” she continued, trying to figure out what Albert’s problem was.

“He has,” Isaac interjected, sounding annoyed with his compatriot. “We both have.”

“But none that big,” Albert retorted, his voice tight and almost irritated.

“Yes, yes, you mentioned that already,” Isaac snapped back. “Just because they’re bigger doesn’t mean you can drag your feet through the subsequent fights.”

Evangeline watched the two in silence, wondering how Albert had managed to make it this far without meeting a grisly end. Given how angry Isaac seemed with the other Hunter, however, it seemed that this was an unexpected and sudden change. Evangeline wasn’t sure if that was better or worse.

“But what if that means they’re only going to get bigger?”

“Then we get stronger. That or we die.” Isaac scoffed in obvious irritation. “Why are we even having this conversation, Albert?”

“I’m not very keen on dying to any of these beasts,” Albert grumbled, glaring at Isaac.

“Then get stronger,” Evangeline interrupted. She fixed her gaze on Albert, who was now glaring at her. “You can be upset about this all you want, but that doesn’t change the fact of the matter. Even if the beasts are getting bigger and stronger, then that means you have to get better and stronger. That or you die. Nothing is going to change that.”

Though he started to answer, Albert thought about what Evangeline had told him and fell silent. His glare didn’t falter, however, and he jerked his gaze away from the female Hunter. Isaac sighed audibly in frustration before giving Evangeline an apologetic look. She nodded in acknowledgement, not wanting to reignite the argument between them and Albert by saying anything.

“In any case, we need to keep going,” Isaac stated firmly. “We still have a job to do for the Hunt tonight. It’s almost over, anyways.”

Casting one last, quick glance over at Albert, Evangeline fell in step behind Isaac. Truthfully, she felt a bit unease at having Albert behind her, but the Hunter though it best not to say anything about it. It would only make things more tense than they already were. Hopefully, they could finish out the Hunt without any further incident and be done with it. After that, however, Evangeline made a mental note to speak to either Gascoigne or Henryk about Albert’s behavior.

As they continued down the street, they came to a large bridge that overlooked a wide, but relatively shallow, waterway. The cobbled bottom could be faintly seen beneath the cold, murky waters, but the Hunters ignored it. What they did notice, however, were the few rays of sunlight that were starting to pierce through the grey clouds of the evening.

“Praises be,” Albert murmured under his breath. “I thought the night would never end.”

“It did seem a little longer than normal,” Isaac agreed, even though there was still a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Evangeline didn’t say anything. While she had also felt like the night had gone on for longer than usual, it hadn’t been anything to cause alarm. It certainly hadn’t been the first time that Evangeline had felt like a Hunt had dragged on for longer than it should have.

“In any case, we should start heading back to the church courtyard,” Isaac ordered. “I’m sure that Henryk and Gascoigne will be curious to hear how this evening’s Hunt went.”

Though she was relatively sure that both Isaac and Albert were supposed to give a report of sorts on her skills, Evangeline didn’t miss the pointed look that Isaac gave Albert. The Hunter either missed or ignored it, and continued walking forward. If anything, his steps seemed a bit more assured now that daylight was becoming visible...and faster.

Within a few moments, Albert had managed to put a notable amount of distance between himself the other two Hunters. Evangeline gave Isaac an alarmed look, then back to Albert. Even if morning was starting to break, it was still dark enough that there were bound to be beasts prowling the alleys. If anything, they’d be even more dangerous than before as they would be either desperate for a last meal or to get back to whatever hole they had skulked out of.

“Albert! Slow down!” Isaac called, jogging along to try and catch up with his compatriot but also making sure that Evangeline could keep up with him. “There could still be beasts about!”

Even if Albert heard Isaac, he didn’t slow down. Evangeline began running faster, still incredulous that any Hunter could be so foolhardy. Even if Albert was upset about being called out, it certainly didn’t justify doing something this reckless. He wasn’t just putting himself at risk, but he was putting all three of them at risk. Any bloodthirsty beast could easily attack Albert, and then turn on Isaac and Evangeline just as quickly.

Fortunately, when she and Isaac turned a corner, Evangeline saw that they were closer to the church courtyard than she had initially assumed. Albert was heading straight for the gateway, which appeared to be unlocked. At the very least, he should make it to the church before-

A flash of movement that shot from the shadows and hurtled straight into Albert made both Isaac and Evangeline come to a momentary, but sudden, stop. It was only when they heard Albert’s panicked and pained shrieks that the two Hunters immediately sprang into action. They sprinted towards the beast, a very furious and very hungry werewolf, which had its jaws locked around Albert’s arm and was viciously shaking the young man as though he were a ragdoll.

Evangeline struck first. With a snarl of effort, she swung her Saw Cleaver blade down in a wide arc, trying to use the momentum to make the gash all that deeper. Within moments, Isaac was flanking the werewolf, using his Axe to attempt to hack off one of the hind legs of the beast. The werewolf, however, was lost in hunger and bloodlust, and continued to rip Albert’s arm to shreds.

Swinging around, Evangeline lay in a series of quick but vicious attacks, realizing that they would have to kill the werewolf in order to get it to stop. She swung her Saw Cleaver twice more, blood spattering against her jacket, before having to move back when the werewolf blindly swiped at her. And though he had initially been a little safer from his position flanking the werewolf, Isaac was forced to roll back when the beast picked up Albert in its jaws and swung the Hunter around in a circle, using them as an unfortunate and impromptu weapon.

In the midst of the mess of screams, blood, and blades, none of the Hunters noticed the second werewolf slinking closer. It was just as hungry and desperate as the first, but at least had the wherewithal to be patient, if only for a short time.

By the time Evangeline heard the claws scraping across stone, it was too late. The second werewolf was only three paces from her, and it had decided to lunge the last distance. Her Saw Cleaver blade momentarily embedded in the body of the first werewolf, Evangeline unholstered her Pistol in an act of desperation and aimed in the general direction of the-

A flash of dark grey, followed by a pained yelp and spray of blood, arced right in front of Evangeline, barely missing the barrel of her Pistol and making her hesitate in taking the shot. Looking up, her heartbeat hammering in her ears, Evangeline felt a twinge of relief when she saw Father Gascoigne. The grey-haired Hunter glanced down at her, then turned his attention back to the werewolf. The beast was managing to get up, despite the massive laceration along the side of its neck, which was gushing blood.

Pivoting, Evangeline turned her attention back to her first quarry, freeing her Saw Cleaver blade just long enough to rip it back through the beast’s hide and flesh. It roared and tried to snap at her, but she moved just out of the way. The werewolf then tried to snap at Isaac, but the moment its open jaws turned towards the Hunter, a throwing knife embedded itself deep into the back of the creature’s mouth.

Now unable to continue to gnaw on its prey, the beast staggered back, whining and clawing frantically at its profusely bleeding mouth. It reared back on its hind legs, and Evangeline saw her opportunity. She darted forward and lunged upward, extending her Saw Cleaver blade and swinging it up at the werewolf’s throat. Blood spurted in thick pulses, soaking her hat, hair, and coat, and, with a gurgled whimper, the beast collapsed back in a heap of bloodied fur and flesh.

Neither Hunters spared a moment to enjoy their victory, however, and they turned to assist Gascoigne and Henryk in killing the second beast. They had their weapons at the ready and…

...found themselves staring at a second werewolf corpse just as Gascoigne hacked its head clean off.

“Oh,” Evangeline commented, her voice small and almost inaudible.

“Albert!”

Turning, Evangeline watched as Isaac desperately tried to staunch the bleeding from his compatriot’s ruined arm. Albert continued to gasp and scream, clutching at what was left of his right arm, despite Isaac’s orders to stop. Evangeline stepped over and helped pry Albert’s arm away so that Isaac could start binding it with scraps of dirtied cloth. She could hear Henryk and Gascoigne talking hurriedly between themselves, and then Gascoigne was at her side. He helped in propping up Albert, as well as holding the Hunter as still as possible while Isaac frantically worked to finish binding the numerous injuries that marred Albert’s body.

“What happened?!” Gascoigne demanded, struggling to hold Albert still and not further aggravate their injuries.

“He suddenly took off,” Evangeline panted, trying to find a spot on Albert’s legs that wasn’t ripped open. “I don’t know what came over him, but he suddenly just began outpacing us making his way to the courtyard!”

“Blasted fool,” Gascoigne grumbled under his breath, shaking his head quickly. He then glanced over at Evangeline. “Are you and Isaac at least unharmed?”

“More or less,” Isaac gasped, tying off another bandage.

Though it looked as if he had further questions, Gascoigne remained silent. Instead, he looked over his shoulder and, seeing Henryk jogging back over with a couple of clerics, turned his attention back to Albert. He drew in a long breath to steady himself and to try and steady the heavily wounded Hunter before speaking.

“Henryk’s brought clerics. We need to get Albert into the church. Now.”

Appearing mutely alarmed, Isaac held back any protests and nodded quickly. Clerics rarely stepped outside of their smoky, dusty rooms of the church, so when they were summoned, things were most certainly dire. And, as frustrating as Albert may have been, Isaac didn’t want to think the worst for his compatriot.

 

* * *

 

Sighing as she walked out of the church and into the warm morning light, Evangeline slumped down onto one of the benches in the courtyard. She was still coated with thick blood, absolutely reeked, and was exhausted, but she only had a couple of bruises and scratches. Given what had happened to Albert, Evangeline counted herself as lucky.

“Eva?”

Gascoigne’s voice made the Hunter lift her head, and she looked up at the taller, older Hunter. Without a word, she scooted down along the bench, providing a bit more space. With an appreciative nod, Gascoigne sat down beside her, leaning back and sighing quietly.

“How is he?” Evangeline finally asked, still slouched over.

“Not good. He’ll most likely live, but it’s doubtful if he’ll be able to use his right arm properly ever again.”

Groaning quietly and shaking her head, Evangeline slipped her gloved fingers up through her hair and underneath her hat. Her hair was still matted and stuck together with beast blood, but the cool leather of her gloves felt good against her pale skin. She then glanced over at Gascoigne, not overly surprised to see that his expression was mostly neutral. Evangeline could only assume that Father Gascoigne had seen more than his fair share of instances like these.

“I’m still not sure why he took off like that,” she murmured. “I know he was upset, but I didn’t think he’d do something that foolish.”

“Upset about what?”

“It was over some wretched werewolves,” Evangeline grumbled, sitting up with a small wince. “He kept going on about how they were bigger than the ones that he was used to fighting.”

“That shouldn’t make a difference. A beast’s a beast and they need to be exterminated.”

Though Gascoigne’s words sent a small chill down Evangeline’s spine, she said nothing of it. He certainly didn’t need to hear about it. Instead, she shrugged slightly.

“That’s what Isaac and I tried to tell him. It only seemed to upset him further. Then, the moment that we saw daylight and started heading back towards the courtyard, Albert just took off. Neither Isaac nor myself was expecting it, and so he managed to get quite a ways away. And then…”

When Evangeline trailed off and didn’t continue, Gascoigne looked over at the female Hunter. He studied her tired, crestfallen expression for a moment, before reaching over and lightly setting a hand on her shoulder. It was enough to pull Evangeline’s gaze up to his own, and Gascoigne gave her a small nod.

“It happens, unfortunately enough. Sometimes Hunters, even those that have seen numerous Hunts, will go and do something incredibly foolish. If it’s any consolation, Albert would not have lived if it hadn’t been for you and Isaac.”

“Doubtful he will ever be a Hunter again, though.”

“Perhaps that is for the best, given what happened tonight.”

“That is one less Hunter, though.”

“I have no doubt that there will be more to fill Albert’s absence,” Gascoigne replied, his tone a little bitter.

Evangeline looked over at Gascoigne, puzzled at his tone. When he didn’t seem to notice, she tilted her head to the side, wordlessly trying to get him to continue. After a moment, the Hunter looked over at her and chuckled shortly, patting her shoulder.

“Nothing to worry about,” he assured. “I’m simply a jaded, old Hunter.”

“That may be, but I owe you my life for a second time, it seems,” Evangeline commented with a half-smirk.

“Heh, hardly. I’ve no doubt that you could have handled yourself, but that would have left Albert even more vulnerable. Couldn’t have that.”

“You’re faith in my abilities is rather inspiring,” Evangeline laughed quietly.

“Good. I’ll make note of that.”

The two fell silent, both watching as the sun continued to slowly rise. The last remnants of fog were beginning to evaporate, and the cool air was slowly being warmed. Grey clouds faded, and rays of sunlight played against the remaining ones. It was a welcome calm and a stark contrast to the bloody chaos they had been witness to only hours earlier.

Finally, Gascoigne dusted off the sides of his coat before rising from the bench.

“Shall we return home? As enjoyable as the view is, I’m pretty sure we would both benefit from a warm meal and getting cleaned up.”

Making a small noise of agreement with a nod, Evangeline stood up. She tugged down the cowl of her coat, taking in a long breath of cool air. Though she could feel streaks of sticky blood on her face, the fresh air made it a bit more bearable.

“Just a moment…”

Gascoigne’s words made Evangeline pause, and she looked up at the Hunter. He had already pulled out a small handkerchief, and shook it to free any small bits of dust or lint. Whatever question Evangeline may have had was soon answered.

“Hold still,” Gascoigne advised, gently grasping Evangeline’s chin.

Staying quiet and not moving, Evangeline watched as the grey-haired Hunter worked to clean the blood from her face. Though he wasn’t able to completely wipe the crimson away, it certainly felt better to not have it on her skin in thick streaks. Evangeline sighed softly, already feeling a little better. It was only when she breathed in that the Hunter felt a twinge of regret when she caught the unmistakable stench of Beast wafting from Gascoigne’s touch. As quickly as the thought arose, though, Evangeline pushed it aside, instead choosing to focus on how surprisingly gentle the Hunter’s touch was.

“There,” Gascoigne commented, wiping away the last, few blood spatters. He scoffed quietly with a short nod. “It’s not all of it, but it’s certainly better than before.”

“I didn’t think I looked that bad,” Evangeline giggled softly, brushing her gloved fingertips across her cheek.

“You didn’t,” Gascoigne assured, putting away the handkerchief. “But I thought you might feel a little better not having werewolf blood painted on your face. Besides, I can’t have you scaring my daughters, now can I?”

“That is a very good point,” Evangeline agreed as she fell in step with Gascoigne.

The two walked along the sunlight lit streets, Evangeline felt the soreness work its way from her body. After a little while, she looked back up at Gascoigne. There was still a question nagging at her thoughts and she hoped that the older Hunter could help answer it.

“Gascoigne, may I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Was Albert...always so easily spooked?”

“No, he never was. He was typically rather stalwart, which is why I find his actions of last night so surprising.” Gascoigne sighed and shook his head. “However, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen a normally calm Hunter break under the pressure. It’s an unfortunate risk of the Hunt.”

“That’s...true,” Evangeline agreed reluctantly. She frowned, remembering how obstinate Albert had been. “It just seemed so sudden. As though he had never seen a large werewolf before.”

“In his defense, Henryk and I also encountered beasts that were larger, and fiercer, than we normally do. It isn’t something completely unexpected, though, but I can’t remember if Alfred has ever had to deal with such a thing.” Gascoigne paused, trying to remember, but eventually shook his head and adjusted his hat. “I guess not.”

Nodding in quiet agreement, Evangeline continued to walk alongside Gascoigne. There was still a small part of her that didn’t believe that Alfred had just been scared senseless by the sight of an overly large werewolf, but Evangeline didn’t have a better explanation. So, it was probably best to stay silent.

“That being said,” Gascoigne continued, his voice a little quieter. “If you ever find yourself concerned that you may be nearing your own breaking point, I am...going to implore you to speak to someone about it. Myself, Henryk, someone in the church, whoever you feel could help best. If Alfred is any sort of example, it’s that keeping silent about such concerns can be quite costly.”

“I’m not sure my pride would survive, to be quite honest.”

“If I may be blunt, damn your pride,” Gascoigne said sternly, glancing over at Evangeline. “Your pride certainly won’t heal your arm once it’s been torn to ribbons, or if it causes you to put your fellow Hunters at risk.”

“Right. All true,” Evangeline agreed quickly, remembering how horrifically wounded Albert’s arm had been. Not to mention that he was now never going to be able to use that arm again. Sighing, she pushed aside the thoughts and nodded slowly. “If I start to think I might be a risk, I’ll...talk to someone. Probably you, to be honest.”

The admission made Gascoigne pause briefly, but he put on a faint, polite smile and nodded.

“Very well. I can’t promise how reassuring I will be, but I can promise that I will listen and provide the best advice that I know of.”

“And I very much appreciate that,” Evangeline replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. As comforting as Gascoigne’s advice might have been, the Hunter found herself silently vowing to never lose her nerve. She couldn’t...and thus, she wouldn’t.


	6. Dreamt Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exhausted after returning from a harrowing Hunt, Evangeline attempts to recuperate during some much needed rest. Her dreams, however, have other plans.

The walk back to Gascoigne’s house was a relatively quiet one. Evangeline was trying to shake the sounds of Albert’s screams out of her mind, and Gascoigne seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, as well. Occasionally, she would glance over at the shop fronts that weren’t abandoned, and Evangeline tried to find some comfort in the fact that there were still some citizens alive and sane in the city. Even then, however, she couldn’t help but if those citizens would live out their lives here in Yharnam, or if they would fall victim to the beasts of the Hunt.

“Did you need something?”

Gascoigne’s voice snapped Evangeline out of her thoughts, and she looked up at the older Hunter. After a moment to compose herself, she shook her head. It was a little embarrassing to be caught staring off at nothing, but, in Evangeline’s defense, she hadn’t been in the company of others for quite some time.

“Ah, no. Apologies. I was just lost in thought.”

“Hm… Nothing wrong with that,” Gascoigne commented. He then smirked and chuckled. “Just make sure you don’t walk into someone or something.”

“Don’t worry. I tend to keep fairly good account of my surroundings, even if I am off in my own thoughts.”

The two walked on in silence for a little longer before Evangeline spoke up again.

“Gascoigne?”

“Hm?”

“You’ve...lived in Yharnam for some time, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Do you...hm…” Evangeline trailed off, realizing how grim her inquiry was going to sound.

“Do I what?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. A bit too grim of a question for a morning like this.”

“It’s been a grim Hunt,” Gascoigne countered with a humorless grin. “I highly doubt that your question is going to be any more grim than what happened last night.”

Frowning, Evangeline still hesitated with her question. She didn’t want Gascoigne to think that she was losing hope in the Hunts. However, the Hunter was genuinely curious to know if the Hunts here were doing any good. They certainly hadn’t done much to quell the Beasts that had overrun the town she had previously lived in.

“Eva?”

“Have...the Hunts seemed to do any good here in Yharnam?”

The question was enough to make Gascoigne stutter a single step, but he quickly composed himself. He glanced down at Evangeline inquisitively, appearing somewhat perplexed by her query. He sighed shortly and made a quick noise when he cleared his throat.

“I have, yes,” he replied with a curt nod. “Why do you ask?”

“I was merely curious. I was hoping that you would say ‘yes’,” Evangeline answered quickly, wanting to assuage any concerns that the older Hunter may have had. Her gaze darkened and she shrugged. “After all, they only delayed the inevitable in regards to what happened to my hometown.”

“Ah… An understandable concern, then.”

“Indeed. I wouldn’t want the same fate that befell my hometown to happen to Yharnam.” Evangeline looked around quickly, then smirked. “However, I will admit that Yharnam appears to have more Hunters than my hometown did.”

“Even if the occasional one does become a coward at the sight of a slightly oversized werewolf.”

Making a small noise and grimace, Evangeline shrugged. She didn’t want to put any more blame on poor Albert. As frustrating as he may have been, the Hunter-no, _former_ Hunter had suffered enough for his mistakes. He may still have his arm, but it was a liability during a Hunt now, not an asset.

After a bit more walking, Gascoigne suddenly stopped without a word, looking over at one of the shops. Evangeline had to walk back a couple of quick paces to once more be at his side, and she followed his gaze. The shop itself didn’t seem to be out of the ordinary, and it didn’t appear that there was any damage to it. ...or any victims.

“Gascoigne?” Evangeline inquired softly, looking back up to the Hunter.

“Hmph…”

“What is it?”

“Viola said that she needed more incense,” Gascoigne replied tersely. “Normally, that’s not problem, but after last night…”

“What do you mean? Why don’t you…oh.” Evangeline stopped when she realized what she was saying and its implications.

An uneasy silence fell between them briefly, but a quick shrug and throat clearing from Evangeline dismissed it. She stood up a little straighter and walked into the shop with a sense of purpose, even if she did feel a bit out of place still in her bloodstained Hunter garb. Fortunately, the shopkeeper seemed to understand, as they stared just long enough to discern what Evangeline was. Then they went about their business, humming quietly to themselves.

Walking around the shop, Evangeline couldn’t help but let her gaze linger on some of the items. Though most were basic necessities, there were a few items that had to be locally made. They didn’t seem familiar, though the workmanship appeared to be decent. Stopping at a small bin of obviously handmade dolls, Evangeline stared down at them for a long moment. There appeared to be only a few left, and the Hunter felt an odd sense of pity for them. Despite them being inanimate objects, she couldn’t help but feel as though they were waiting in the wooden bin; ever hopeful that a child would come along and and take them home

An odd feeling of somber longing, like she was missing something that she’d never had, began to tug at Evangeline’s core. For a brief moment, she entertained the idea of actually buying one of the dolls. But then that moment was gone and Evangeline dismissed the thought. She was a grown woman, a Hunter; what business did she have with a doll?

Turning quickly from the bin, already trying to forget the painted on faces of the dolls, Evangeline went to the racks of incense. The pungent smells were almost overwhelming for her, so she couldn’t imagine what the scent was doing to Gascoigne. Even so, Evangeline couldn’t help but wonder what the effects of the incense were like.

Did the scent burn? Did it cause adverse, physical effects? Like a headache or nausea?

Evangeline knew, from experience, that the incense didn’t always work, so the effects must not be _too_ crippling. She had seen houses and shops that had been attacked and ransacked by beasts, the incense scattered around on the bloodied floors. Even so, the effects must not have been too weak, given that the incense was normally effective.

Still pondering over the thoughts, Evangeline took the bundle of incense she picked up over to the counter. She cast one, last look at the dolls, still in their bin at the other end of the aisle, and then turned her attention to the shopkeeper. They had just finished tending to what appeared to be a new shipment and were walking over to the counter Evangeline was waiting at.

“Find everything that you need?”

“Yes. Thank you,” Evangeline replied with a nod.

“This is fairly potent incense,” the shopkeeper commented as they carefully placed into a small, carrying bag. “You’re lucky that you came in as early as you did. It’s difficult to keep this stocked at all times.”

“I have noticed that it appears to be very popular,” the Hunter replied, glancing down at the bag.

Humoring the shopkeeper with a little more small talk, Evangeline paid for the incense. It was bagged in a small, linen wrap, but as soon as it was handed to her, Evangeline tucked it away in her coat. She thanked the shopkeeper and left, ignoring the odd urge to go back and buy one of the dolls.

Stepping back out into the sunlight, Evangeline noticed that Gascoigne hadn’t moved from the spot she’d left him at. Pausing a few paces away, the Hunter opened her coat enough to show that she had the incense. To that, Gascoigne chuckled and shook his head, motioning for Evangeline to walk alongside him.

“You needn’t worry,” he assured. “The incense doesn’t affect me _that_ strongly.”

“Oh,” Evangeline replied shortly. “My apologies. I...wasn’t sure.”

“Well, I appreciate your thought...and you going into the store to purchase the incense in the first place.”

Following alongside Gascoigne, Evangeline made a small noise and nod.

“I noticed that you were looking at something there in the store,” Gascoigne commented, glancing down at the female Hunter. “Mind if I ask what it was?”

“Oh. It was…” Evangeline paused, feeling a little embarrassed as to what had caught her attention. “A box. Just a box of dolls.”

“A box of dolls?” Gascoigne repeated, sounding curious.

“Yes. To be honest, I’m not sure why I even gave them a second look. I suppose the sight of them brought up a little nostalgia.”

The grey-haired Hunter was quiet for a long moment before speaking, not sure if his question was going to be too personal.

“Did you...have children?”

“Me? Oh, no, no,” Evangeline replied with a shake of her head. “But there certainly wasn’t a lack of children in my hometown, either. ...not that that made much difference to the creatures.”

The sigh of agreement that Gascoigne gave almost sounded like a growl, but Evangeline didn’t pay it much attention. If anything, it was rather comforting to have her sentiments shared.

 

* * *

 

Reaching the plaza outside the house, Gascoigne grasped Evangeline’s shoulder, stopping her. The Hunter looked up at him questioningly, glancing over at the doorway before back to Gascoigne.

“If you would…please refrain from telling Viola about this morning,” the grey-haired Hunter asked quietly. “She may very well be able to discern things on her own, but I would rather not upset her if-”

“Of course, of course,” Evangeline interrupted, nodding. “I understand and I won’t say anything.”

Though he seemed a little off put by her interruption, Gascoigne, nonetheless, made an affirming sound and nod. He let his hand slide from Evangeline’s shoulder and then continued on his way to the house. For some reason, though his hand was gone, Evangeline could have sworn that his presence remained on her shoulder. It took her a moment to shake the feeling, and then she jogged a few paces to catch up with the elder Hunter.

Even so, Evangeline still found it worrisome that Gascoigne was needing her to lie for him. He obviously knew that Viola was aware of...what was happening. Wouldn’t she be more upset at finding out that she’d been lied to? Or, worse yet, wasn’t it dangerous for Viola to be kept unaware of instances like this? What if she thought that she, and Gascoigne, had more time than they actually did.

Frowning at the dark thoughts, Evangeline dismissed them and mustered up a polite smile as she entered the Gascoigne household. As soon as she stepped inside, however, the Hunter immediately picked up on the piteous expression that Viola was giving her. Raising an eyebrow, Evangeline looked to Gascoigne, who was already taking off his coat and hat and carefully hanging them up.

“I told Viola what happened to Albert,” Gascoigne explained. He turned to face Evangeline. “At least, some of it.”

“It sounded terrible. That poor Hunter,” Viola murmured, shaking her head. She then looked up to Evangeline. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“Just a few scratches and bruises. Nothing major.”

“Do they have someone that can replace Albert?” Viola asked, looking to her husband.

“I don’t believe so. There aren’t any Hunters that would make for suitable replacements, for now,” Gascoigne explained. He sighed and then crossed his arms loosely, turning his attention to Evangeline. “Which probably means that you and Isaac will most likely be Hunting as a pair until further notice.”

“So...does that make him my permanent partner?” Evangeline ventured.

“I don’t know about permanent, but he’s certainly going to be your partner for the foreseeable future. There simply aren’t any Hunters that are experienced enough to accompany you two on the patrols that you’ll be taking.”

“I see.”

“Is that going to be a problem?” Gascoigne inquired.

“N-no, no. I don’t believe it will be,” Evangeline replied quickly with a shake of her head. “I suppose it’s just that I wish I had paid more attention to Isaac's ways of fighting. Had I known-”

“You’ll have plenty of time to do that,” Gascoigne interrupted. “For the next Hunt, the patrols will most likely be kept close to the church. With beasts as violent and hungry as the ones that attacked Albert on the prowl, the church is going to focus on killing those that are closest and then working outwards.”

“Right.” Evangeline thought about the situation for a moment, the added. “I assume that they are going to want to keep main pathways to the church clear, as well. Such as the larger streets and bridges.”

“Without a doubt,” Gascoigne agreed. “Despite everything, the church is going to try to keep its doors as _safely_ open to the public for sanctuary as it can.”

Though she made a short noise of agreement, Evangeline didn’t comment further. She had her own ideas about church sanctuary and how beneficial it was. Personally, she thought of it as more of a death trap. To have all those citizens crowded around in a massive room…

Then again, the church did have some of the most formidable Hunters at their disposal. That and a seemingly endless supply of incense. So perhaps there was some benefit to them remaining open to the public. At the very least, it kept ordinary civilians off the streets and away from the beasts.

When she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, it was then that Evangeline felt the incense poke lightly into her side. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was enough of a reminder that she needed to give the incense to Viola. But there was the problem that Gascoigne was still speaking with his wife, and Evangeline didn’t want to discomfort the older Hunter.

So, with that in mind, Evangeline walked into the kitchen and set the bundle of incense on the countertop farthest from the kitchen doorway. Taking a few moments to look around, the Hunter sighed heavily. She suddenly felt incredibly tired. It was as though all of the chaos of the previous Hunt had come falling down on her shoulders out of nowhere.

Blinking quickly and shaking her head, Evangeline turned and made her way to the bedroom that she was borrowing. She murmured a quick word of thanks to Gascoigne and Viola, wanting nothing more than to get to bed and get some rest. Evangeline could hear Gascoigne’s two daughters giggling and talking as they began to wake, so she quickened her pace and was in the bedroom by four more paces. She didn’t mind the two energetic, young girls, but Evangeline was too tired to be able to hold a proper conversation with Annabelle or Bethany.

Sighing again when she reached the bedroom, Evangeline slowly changed into some more comfortable clothes to sleep in. She winced at the twinges of soreness and pain, but paid them no more heed as soon as they faded. She was certain that some sleep on a soft mattress would help remove such minor discomforts.

Her dark green eyes close almost as soon as her head came to rest on the pillow. Breathing deeply and clutching loosely at the blankets, Evangeline tugged them around her. Already she could feel sleep creeping over her, and given how exhausted she felt, Evangeline had no desire to try and stay awake any longer.

Unfortunately, the Hunter’s mind was still awake and now that the opportunity had presented itself, decided to dredge up old memories.

 

The night air was cold. Bitterly cold.

It was the kind of cold that sank down into one’s bones and made them ache sharply.

The kind of cold that almost completely ignored the clothing and heavy armor that the Hunter was clad in.

Another gust of the icy wind sent a flurry of snowflakes rushing across her face, and the Hunter frowned, despite the fact that her face was shielded by a helmet that completely enclosed her head. The night was quiet, save for the wind, but eerily quiet. Any hints of beasts had only been a few lone howls or growls, but they were too distant to be of any concern.

Someone was approaching the Hunter.

Blinking quickly to soothe her dry eyes, she turned to face the newcomer. They were clad in the same armor as she, though they were notably taller than her. They asked her something, tilting their head to the side inquisitively. But the howling winds and heavy helmet they were wearing muffled their voice.

“What?” the Hunter asked.

The other repeated themselves, this time a little louder. But their voice was still too muffled to hear clearly.

“I can’t understand you.”

Though she couldn’t hear them, it was obvious that the other sighed, judging by the slouch of their shoulders. They then shook their head and removed their helmet, just in time to be greeted by another blast of icy winds. The flurry of snow and ice briefly concealed their features, and once again muffled their reply.

Frustrated herself, the Hunter tried to take a step towards the other, but found that her armored boots were frozen to the concrete floor beneath her. Frowning down at her boots, the Hunter looked back up and felt her breath catch in her throat. She could see the other now, and their features seemed so familiar that it made the Hunter’s head hurt. But what was most noteworthy was their eyes.

They were glowing faintly.

It wasn’t the faint glow of the nearby lanterns. It wasn’t even the moonlight. The other’s eyes, their green, venom colored eyes, were glowing.

Despite the detail, the Hunter wasn’t alarmed. She knew this man. What was his name…?

Before she could think about it any further, the man spoke again. Even though the winds were still shrieking, he only whispered. So the Hunter shook her head in response.

“I can’t hear you!” she cried in exasperation.

Appearing to be just as frustrated as the Hunter, the other took a few steps towards her, reaching out towards her with an armor clad hand. Just then, another howl of wind sent a massive gust of snow and ice that enveloped them both.

“Darrows!” she cried out.

 

Evangeline’s eyes snapped open and she sat upright as quickly as she could, a cold sweat coating her pale skin. Despite the heavy blankets that were draped over her, she felt as cold as she had been in the dream. Covering her face and groaning into her palm, Evangeline slumped forward, occasionally shivering from the cold that was seeping into her body. Rubbing at her face, she slowly lifted her gaze to nothing in particular.

Darrows.

How long had it been since she’d heard, or said, that name?

For a brief moment, Evangeline considered getting out of bed. But the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a poor idea. She would most likely get drawn into a conversation if she ventured out of the bedroom. And given how haggard she appeared, Evangeline could only imagine that it would be more questions towards her than anything else. Questions that she wasn’t awake enough to answer coherently.

Sighing heavily and combing her hair back with her fingers, Evangeline sat in bed, looking around the room even though her gaze was distant. Though her eyes occasionally lingered on random items set around the room, Evangeline’s thoughts were far from her surroundings. She couldn’t dismiss the memories, no matter how hard she tried.

The Hunter had hoped that time would help fade the memories, but her sleep had other plans, obviously. They weren’t painful memories, per say, but more dangerous than anything. Memories of people that would have been unwelcome in Yharnam particularly by members of the Healing Church. And that was putting it very, very lightly.

After a few more minutes of simply sitting in the bed, Evangeline lay back down with a groan. Her entire body still felt quite sore, and she knew that she couldn’t have slept for more than an hour at the most. But the lingering threat of more memories coming up in her dreams made the prospect of sleep much less appealing than it had been before.

Staring up at the ceiling, Evangeline blinked quickly a couple of times, not quite ready to doze off just yet. Now that the blond haired man was back in her thoughts, he refused to leave, and his name tumbled around relentlessly.

Darrows.

He had been a fellow Hunter that had participated in Hunts alongside Evangeline, and he had been very, very proficient at his job. The only problem had been that he took his job just as seriously. He would cut down anyone that even showed hints of turning into a Beast.

...Gascoigne would have been a prime target.

Frowning at the grim thought, Evangeline buried her face into the pillow and grumbled a curse into the stuffing. Personally, she had never had a problem with Darrows. In fact, he had been oddly charming in his own, morbid way. And he had been an invaluable ally during Hunts.

Even so, there was no denying that his presence had been incredibly imposing and unnerving.

Not exactly the person Evangeline wanted to see in her dreams.

Rolling over onto her side with a wince, the Hunter stared tiredly at the wall across from her. Already her thoughts were drifting back to memories that she would have gladly left forgotten. And if they were this vivid while she was awake, Evangeline could only imagine the dreams that such memories could conjure up.

It was going to be a long day.


End file.
